The Wasteland

The Time Traveller's Wife

2006-03-27T11:25:00.000+01:00

One of those gems that comes to you by unexpected means and never leaves your side. Upon finishing this wonderful novel I wrapped it up and gave it to my brother with the note, "No, it's not just for girls..." - a perhaps unnecessary embellishment, but a true one nevertheless. It revolves around the conceit that a condition of chrono disease exists which makes those unfortunate enough to suffer by it susceptible to sudden displacements to times past and future, arriving as naked as The Terminator but more nauseous. Henry, the protagonist is one such time traveller, who meets his future wife on one such "trip", aged six, and returns to her in (for him) non sequential bouts as she grows up. When he then meets her in real time she is familiar with him but for Henry it is the first time they meet. Sounds complicated and it is - each chapter beginning with titles such as Henry aged 32, Clare aged 12, etc. But the exceptional writing of first time novelist Audrey Niffenegger never deliberately misleads us, always making the most of this boundless potential, whilst maintaining the simplicity and truth of the ultimate love story underneath it all. The main characters are so beautifully attractive in their qualities and their faults that the ridiculous nature of many situations is easily forgiven as we yearn to explore the humanity of these people and those who come into contact with their strange reality. Mature, resonant and very touching, it affected me so much that upon finishing it I got out of bed and started writing myself... for about five hours! Some books you can't wait to finish and move on, some books you can't wait to start again. I think I'll wait a wee while, but it definitely falls into the latter group. Uplifting and heart-breaking in equal measures, a book that anyone who believes that "Time is Nothing" should read. 9.5/10 Kx

Bafta 2006

2006-03-27T10:56:00.000+01:00

Britain's attempt to rival the importance of the Oscars has done well in recent years to bring glamour and fun to an event that can be a lot of stuffed shirts being terribly embarrassed to acknowledge how good they are. They seem to have the balance right now - glamour, yes, but a sense of dignity that is often lost on our American cousins. Steven Fry returned for another year to bring wit, intelligence and no little naughtiness to the affair, and thank God. Some of his introductions are quite ingenious, diluting a lot of the dry over importance of the old school. Of course, the whole thing is still terribly British, but it is an award even the hardest of Hollywood stalwarts want to win these days (with the exception of absentee winner Reese Witherspoon perhaps). It proved that Seymour Hoffman needed a bigger shelf, that Rachel Weisz's time had indeed come, that Thandie Newton was one to be watched at the Oscars and that Brokeback Mountain wasn't the only film out there. Despite that, I was delighted to see Jake Gyllenhaal pick up some kudos, and indeed Ang Lee, who gave a lovely speech thanking Britain for their support of his work over the years, citing The Ice Storm ( one of my all time favourites) as a film that everyone else but Bafta ignored. Speech of the night though was left till the end when Lord David Puttnam, introduced by an increasingly doddery Lord Attenbrough, received the fellowship award... Having being retired from film production for almost a decade because of cynicism to the way the industry was going, he made a point of thanking George Clooney for proving him wrong - indeed who would have thought it, but many would agree! He then went on to make every single person in the house weep by recounting one of his favourite scenes in cinema history, surprisingly the last scene from The Sixth Sense, and related it to his dead father being proud of him. A deserved standing ovation for the man who brought us, among other things, Chariots of Fire, The Killing Fields and The Mission - deserved because it was a genuine moment from a genuine man with nothing to gain by showboating: wonderful. One of the best nights of backslapping in recent memory. Kx

Constantine

2006-03-27T09:43:00.000+01:00

The problem with using a smaller shop to rent your DVDs from is that they often only have one copy of things. So to expect anything half decent to be left on a Saturday night is a bit naive. On this particular night comic book adaptation Constantine, starring the theatrically challenged Mr Reeves, was way way down my list, but was just about the only thing left I was remotely prepared to watch. I'd been stung before by thinking I'd give Keanu a chance, I mean the guy has iconic movie looks, just check out the above image, but boy does he struggle with depth and any other emotion than slightly pissed off. However, I may have underestimated the fact that this was fantasy approaching his biggest success (The Matrix) and as such would benefit from what he does best. I'd heard there was a lot of disgruntlement from the purists of the source material, Hellblazer, who demanded our [anti]hero be blond and British. Having not read it, I can't comment on that, but as a moody, chain-smoking, demon kicker Reeves is more than equal to the task, delivering a two dimensional performance of the very highest order! Of course it's silly, of course it's cheesy, but music video director Francis Lawrence creates enough mood and moment to lift it above several of its recent contempories, embellishing it with enough little touches to ensure we know that he knows it's a comic book thing. So much could have been better, naturally - the effects were decent if not mind blowing, the settings were suitably dark and the performances were solid enough for this kind of fare. Rachel Weisz is always worth watching, especially as she seems to be approaching the pinnacle of her powers - I, certainly, have never fancied her more than as the confused yet feisty Angela (gettit?) and twin sister Isobel. There are some odd performances from Tilda Swinton and Peter Stormare as Gabriel and Satan respectively, perhaps pushing the boundaries of "colourful" a little too far, and a weird cameo from Shia LeBeouf as Constantine's taxi driving sidekick that is badly edited and therefore deemed completely superfluous. Altogether though, when the final joke of C forsaking his beloved smokes for a stick of gum arrives, there has been enough enjoyment to warrant a tentative recommendation... So here it is: see it if eveything else is out - 7/10 Kx

Walk The Line

2006-03-27T09:04:00.000+01:00

Another one of those films, like Lost In Translation last year, that as soon as you see the trailer you know you are going to love it forever! Johnny Cash as a musician had been notably absent from my collection, never having flirted too much with country music, but as a person his legend preceded him and the very idea of the man in black held huge appeal for me. To cast Joaquin Phoenix was a stroke of genius, to cast Reese Witherspoon beside him was also very clever - I mean, just look at the above poster! Pure movie class; what chemistry - there is so much going on behind those eyes... There was never any doubt for me from the first scene that this was going to be a big winner. The obvious recent comparison has got to be last years Ray - a musical biopic of a troubled life. But whereas that film left me a little disappointed (see archives) due to the extended use of formulaic plotlines and overlong sequences, Walk The Line hit all the right notes (sorry). It fairly flew along at a healthy pace, never indulging the temptation to linger on unimportant events, but rather concentrating on the loneliness, frustration and angst of a passionate man and his two true loves: music and June. Phoenix totally nails the laconic Cash so well you can almost feel the weight on his shoulders - and the music scenes are scintillatingly good too; all the better for the fact that he sang it all himself, unlike Foxx who mostly mimed to the real voice of Mr Charles. Both leads deserved every bit of praise for their performances along the long and winding road of the awards season - Witherspoon especially stood out in a fairly weak year for female performances and was a shoe in come Oscar night. Phoenix was unlucky, however, to come up against some of the strongest competition of recent years and was always an outsider for the big prize (his year will come - just look at his body of work already!). What I love most about this movie is its lack of pretension. It doesn't try to be anything other than what it is: a love story based on real people in the music business in the 50s and 60s. And as such it achieves an economy that will bring you back to watch it again and again. The direction is nothing that special, it has to be said, but at least it's smart enough to know what to leave out and what to include, and that goes a long way. James Mangold (Cop Land, Girl Interrupted) achieves more in his capacity as a writer, creating lean scenes with sparkling dialogue and a beautiful sense of time, place and relationship. The other thing it has given me is an introduction to discover the music of the real man, with the live album at Folsom prison now ranked very highly in my pecking order. Perhaps not one to be admired as a great work of art, but absolutely one for the top 100 list. 9/10 Kx

Zathura

2006-03-21T21:33:00.000Z

Another half-term and another "family" movie. This one was just me and the kid, who at nine was the perfect age for this confection from Jon Favreau - who will always be the guy from Swingers for me. Having fond memories of an enjoyable Saturday afternoon watching Jumanji more than a decade ago, I was intrigued at least to hear that a sort-of-a-sequel had been made. It's not really a sequel at all - it's the same movie in space: replace rampaging rhinos by aliens and the hunter by an astronaut and there you go. The kids in this one are brothers, and they don't get on, setting up a cute story where the elder realises his love for the younger in an interestingly inventive way. A lot of the charm here came from the fact that Favreau reverted to hands on effects, models and puppets instead of a whole bunch of cringe-worthy CGI - something I have missed whole-heartedly and welcomed with open arms. It looked great! There is something about the old school ways that you can accept so much easier, if done well, than computer trickery, which often overindulges the possibilities of logic and the laws of physics. More, please! At no point did I find myself drifting off during this, with even the child actors engaging me most of the time, where often they can grate on your nerves. In fact I found myself transported back to that special feeling of Saturday matinees that thrill and amaze just enough that you've had a great time without having to take a frame of it out into the light of day afterwards. There have been some we've seen in these holiday slots that I know the wee one will demand against my better judgment at the extortionate DVD prices, but this isn't one of them - I'm quite happy to fork out again for something every child's collection should be happy to have. 8/10 Kx

V For Vendetta

2006-03-13T13:54:00.000Z

Hot on the heals of Watchmen, as I enjoyed that so very much, I turned to another of Alan Moore's classics, keen to get the graphic novel experience before the upcoming movie adaptation tainted my vision of it. The first thing that struck me, coming from the vivid colours of the aforementioned hero epic, was the subdued style of the artwork - dark, sickly hued (a lot of blues, greens and off yellows) and oppressive - immediately creating an atmosphere of unease, portraying a troubled world before even a word is spoken. It took less than five pages before I was hooked big time on this alternate world of totalitarian control and repression. Its Orwellian influences are clear to see, but it is only a platform from which this highly original story unfolds. The titular V, a man of all-encompassing mystery, a "terrorist" who uses the face of Guy Faulks to launch his vendetta on a system that offers lies and heartache to its people, is a character of infinite appeal - his theatrical style, his unflinching nerve and sense of purpose, his innate understanding of true justice make him an anti-hero not just because of his violence, but because of the questions he raises in a world where suicide bombers and oppressive governments are everyday concerns. As relevant now as it was in 1984 when written, this is not just entertainment, but important art, worthy of study and intellectual dissection on every level. I have heard the film doesn't flinch in representing the major themes of the book, and for that I'm grateful. I would not want to see a film that represented this obvious classic in any kind of diluted format. But I think Natalie Portman is interesting casting for Evey Hammond, and I doubt not that the pivotal importance of her relationship with V will be well addressed by her as an actress. The revelations that occur from about two thirds of the way through in V For Vendetta have provided me with some of the most gobsmacking moments of my recent literary intake, and I urge anyone who has not given this graphic novel the time of day to do so without hesitation. The film will undoubtedly bring new readers, but it will always be the book that exists at the zenith of its medium. Hard to judge whether it is better than Watchmen, but I certainly think I would give it a slight edge if pressed to name a favourite. 10/10 Kx

Super Bowl XL

2006-03-13T13:07:00.000Z

One of the only things that can get me to stay up watching TV till after 1am these days (honest) is my ongoing love affair with American Football. I still don't fully understand a lot of the technical plays and tactics, but maintain that the Super Bowl is one of the greatest sporting spectacles in the world - it is just an amazing event! Always an electric atmosphere and so much at stake, even though most of the pundits have already decided who will win. I am a die-hard Jets fan, so I understand the appeal of the underdog - Super Bowl XL will go down in history as another win for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but for me it was all about the Seattle Seahawks, who sort of became my second team this year after New York's injury list caused them to have pretty much a non-season. Before the final showdown I was raving about them - about Matt Hasselbeck, about Shaun Alexander, about their grit and team spirit, and about how, at the odds, I thought they had an outstanding chance of turning the favourites over. Dangerous. These days I try to keep my own gambling tendencies under wraps, but that didn't stop me advising my brother to go for his biggest ever bet at 6/4 for what was basically a fifty fifty coin toss! And so it shall be that this super bowl will always be remembered as the one that nearly was, but the one that cost my kin over £3000... As a game you rarely get a true run affair at the Super Bowl, there is just too much at stake, too much caution and they tend to be low scoring games - as such I knew it was vital for the Seahawks to make a good early start and put a 10 point lead on the board in the first quarter. That didn't happen (it was 3-0) and from there on in it was always nearlys and what ifs, as Pittsburgh powered to the lead and kept it, with a little more luck on their side on the night. If it was all to be done again I wouldn't change my mind though - Seattle did little wrong, it just wasn't their night! By the time I realised they weren't going to do it, late in the fourth quarter, I was almost through my third bottle of wine for the evening and just collapsed into a world of pain (big guilt and a hangover that ended up lasting a week!). A cautionary tale, then, of the pitfalls of booze and gambling - a lifestyle I occasionally dip my toe into and always come away from stung by a big jellyfish. Next season I think I'll keep it academic and purely for the sport of it - let's just hope the Jets don't make the next final or I will barely be able to control my little demons... Kx

Munich

2006-03-09T16:21:00.000Z

The third film from the best five Oscar list that I saw was Spielberg's Munich. Prior to its release I had heard very little about it - there was no huge fuss or ceremony about it; to be honest I didn't even know the guy was making it. It took me a little time to warm to the idea of assassins pursuing terrorists, it just seemed a little dry and would potentially throw up a few political hot potatoes. The casting of Eric Bana in the lead gave it more appeal. I've been waiting for him to really fulfill his potential ever since Chopper. His career choices have been fine on paper and he has been unlucky not to be even bigger than he is - but Hulk was more miss than hit, and Troy is not even worth talking about it was such a mess. Following on from War of The Worlds it makes sense that the worlds greatest living director (on consistency of product and pure entertainment value) should turn to more grounded territory. It bears all the trademark touches right from the opening sequence - its pulse races at high speed, with high stakes, and the feel of something of the highest quality is undeniable. The production detail is everything you would expect from a Spielberg movie and the lens moves lovingly over every scene lapping it all up. The serious subject matter is counter-balanced by the razors edge tension achieved in the set-pieces and we get sucked into the assassins world. As it progresses, the ambiguity of Bana's motives shifts the tone into interesting areas - the question of whether it can ever be right to take a life and the realisation that the cycle of hostility may never end are very poignant themes. An idea beautifully demonstrated as the final image shows the twin towers of the World Trade Centre sat serenely, yet ominously, on the NY skyline. In politics it is a constant shifting of the equilibrium that makes our world what it is - cause and effect, and how every action every person takes leads ultimately to inevitable conclusions. A brilliant film - controversial - but always managing to balance entertainment with art and intellectual merit. It will be interesting to see how it is thought of in five or ten years time. Regardless, it is a worthy addition to the canon of truly remarkable film-maker. 9/10 Kx

Tiger Woods 2004

2006-03-09T16:02:00.000Z

Having abandoned anything that involved too much thought on the gaming front I turned to the old tried and trusted EA sports range for a bit - mostly Tiger Woods PGA tour 2004: a good walk wasted without ever getting off the sofa... What gets me hooked is having targets to reach, improving your game and hitting the perfect round. For the most part playing this is so mindless you can do it in your sleep, but in that is something quite soothing - it beats beating people up or blowing their heads off, for me anyway (in a virtual sense, naturally). The range of courses, golfers, games and options here is all you could wish for from a golf game, with the added bonus in career mode of doing a bit of shopping to get the perfect outfit, some matching equipment, even a nice watch or a lucky rubber band. You can also design your very own game face - although I tried and failed to get one to look like the real me; in the end I went for what I would look like if I had a few million to spare and the best plastic surgeon in the land - what's the point of playing games if you can't fantasise? By the end of January I had played this to death and just about achieved everything there was to achieve, nevertheless a quick round at St Andrews may appeal from time to time and I will need a very good reason to ever buy another golf game. 8.5/10 Kx

Watchmen

2006-03-03T12:06:00.000Z

Just before Christmas I was looking to get my daughter the complete Narnia box-set for her to read after watching the movie and I came across an ad for a fantasy fiction bookclub. I joined up and got C. S. Lewis' classics for less than a fiver! The only catch being that I had to choose 4 other books. The bright cover of Watchmen leaped out of the magazine at me and so I went for that, curious about the genre of graphic novels, a world I had yet to dip my toe into. The instant joy of once again reading something with pictures got me hooked without too much fuss - it felt like a guilty pleasure at first (surely, this can't be serious art? I thought) but soon I was devouring it in huge chunks, eager to reveal the mystery behind the vivid story of ex-heroes in an alternate past, an alternate American Metropolis. I have since discovered that the writer of this, Alan Moore, is a massive cult figure in comic book lore, and that Watchmen is considered one of The graphic novel classics ever. Lucky intro for me then. And I can easily see how that would be the case - the story is, of course, incredible and wildly imaginative, but also rooted in a deep humanity that constantly challenges in addition to the more visceral thrills of good guys beating up bad guys. The morality is ambivalent, the heroes aren't always heroes: my favourite character, Rorschach (his mask changes like the images of a Rorschach test) is an anti-hero of the highest order, dangerously violent, clearly insane and ruthless to a fault, but with a sense of values that highlight well the hypocrisy and apathy of the state and its degenerate people. Ultimately a work of major worth intellectually, Watchmen borders on prophetic and sucks you into a world not as distant from reality as you might think. The skill is not only in the story, but in the exceptional artwork (Dave Gibbons) - it is fascinating how the brain interacts with images in this format; the detail, or lack of it, the introduction of a shadow or extra line, the use of colour and the exaggerated expressions the characters express: I am infinitely impressed and kicking myself for not discovering it sooner. Needless to say, the book club will be getting plenty more orders for graphic novels from me. 9.5/10 Kx

Brokeback Mountain

2006-03-03T11:29:00.000Z

This was the first of the new year's big Oscar contenders that I saw, about 2 days after it was released, way before all the jokes and jibes started flying around. I had seen Crash months before, and that was a tough benchmark to reach, I really loved that movie. It is funny, but when the trailer for Brokeback first emerged sometime last Autumn my first reaction was less than positive - I thought it looked plain and stereotyped, even a little comic - but Ang Lee had made a couple of films that appear on my top 100 list, so I thought I'd keep an eye on it anyway. A few months later and the hype propelled it into the stratosphere, with five star reviews and nothing but universal praise. Going back to the exact same trailer and reviewing it, I was suddenly moved, beginning to see that, yes, it could be magnificent - just shows how the media can control our thoughts; add the words "Oscar nominated" to something and its stock goes through the roof. So what of the actual film? It is of course wonderful and beautiful in many many ways, containing a gentleness and ineffable grace that is evident in much of Lee's work, especially my favourite of his, The Ice Storm. The performances are praiseworthy across the board (although on balance I prefer Gyllenhaal to Ledger), the script is tight and honest, the photography is lovely and the entire mood is infused with something deliciously melancholy. In short, I love it! Five stars? Hell, yes. The best film of the year? Hmm, not so sure... Does the fact that it so openly addresses the topic of Gay romance give it more kudos than it normally would? Probably so. If this was about an illicit love story between male and female friends then perhaps it would be more thought of as admirable but dull? Of course, the screenplay is so eloquent that it never slips into exploitation or pastiche - it is a pure exploration of repression, guilt, longing and loneliness, and as such is an unmitigated success. The feeling upon coming out of the cinema into the cold light of day was one of sadness mixed with a strange sensation of being uplifted. It may not be the best film of the year, but whatever it does win come Oscar night will be hard to refute; it is an instant classic here to stay, and already I can't wait to see it again. 9/10 Kx

Arctic Monkeys

2006-03-01T13:57:00.000Z

Wow! Where to start with this one? Alex Turner and the Arctic Monkeys, hailing from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, have gatecrashed UK culture like the fella on the album cover barging into a genteel cocktail party and demanding to shag the hostess. Said album, the audaciously titled Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is literally rammed full of high energy tunes that come as close to punk as anything since 1981. And what's more, it's F***ing excellent! Their first single I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, accompanied by a whirlwind tour of Northern England, came out of nowhere and catapulted them to number one in the charts with barely no hype at all, other than that generated by demos on their website. Since then you can't escape it, and who wants to? Their tracks have been used in commercials and promos everywhere, on the Olympics coverage and on any and every music station nationwide. Officially it is the biggest selling debut album in history this side of the lake, and it's only been out 2 months. So, what's all the fuss? Well, there's an honesty about it for sure, and an intelligence that belies both the band's collective age and the lager swilling, casual sex sensibility that hovers on the surfice, terrifying anyone who's a parent of a teenager. Lyrically it is way ahead of its peers, demonstrating an ironic humour that stands up to analysis as more than just cheap puns and throw away one liners. It has a social relevance that both celebrates, denounces and accurately reflects the place and time it comes from - prompting some critics to cynically believe the forces behind the band must be hard-edged musos in their 30s and not a bunch of lads with guitars... But I don't buy that for a minute - it's just one of those happy accidents that happen all too rarely, when ideas, energy and talent all merge to hit exactly the right tone, filling a niche in the market and satisfying a primal need while it's at it. From tracks like the beautifully tender Mardy Bum, to the spot-on observation of Still Take You Home and Riot Van, through to the raw edge on Dance Floor, this is practically pitch perfect. Musically sound, often surprising and not too polished, just as it should be. Buy it twice! 10/10 Kx

Cinderella Man

2006-02-28T21:42:00.000Z

Ron Howard is a funny one? On paper his movies always sound like they will be among the best of the year - they are well produced with high levels of detail and a nice gloss on them, always with big names and always promising a good experience. But the end product as a whole doesn't always add up to that promise. He has been accused of being sentimental, focusing more on the redemptive aspects of his characters rather than exploring them as real people, and that is mostly a fair judgment - I hated Beautiful Mind for that very reason (well that and the worst aging make-up ever seen) - but it is the movies and someone has to be out there creating unlikely heroes and a bit of popcorn escapism. On getting the DVD for Cinderella Man, then, I didn't expect too much. Crowe doing another gritty working-class hero, a boxer who's life goes down the pan, setting up for a glorious comeback, all sounded like predictable stuff. In many ways it was exactly that, but old Richie seems to have learned a few new tricks about light and shade in the interim, because this humble tail of the depression and the ancient art of pugilism is just about his career best film . It doesn't offer everything on a plate, doesn't patronise the audience so much, indeed it is for extended sections quite brilliant and beautiful. The photography and production design are exceptional, but this time the story and the characters are good enough to match. The relationship between Crowe's Braddock and his world-weary trainer, played by the ever impressive Paul Giamatti is a delight, and the journey they take, based on true events, touches you in a truly resonant way, perhaps because it is not merely one man's story but the story of a nation going through tumultuous times, and the story of people who had nothing and helped each other through it. I'd go as far as saying that this is one of the best films in its genre - one of the best boxing movies and one of the best underdog movies ever made. It bodes really well for this Summer's sure hit The Da Vinci Code, a film that I know I will see whether it is well reviewed or not, but it's good to have regained a little trust in Howard as a director. I was genuinely impressed and can only recommend it. 9/10 Kx

Quantum Leap

2006-02-28T21:12:00.000Z

For the past wee while the only time the TV is on for anything other than sports or movies is that time after my daughter gets home from school, between homework and bedtime. The routine is always the same: Friends 5 - 6 and Third Rock From The Sun 7 - 7:30, sandwiched by an hour in the unsettled life of Dr. Sam Beckett and his holographic aide Al, played by Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell respectively. The show, of course is Quantum Leap, one of the biggest sci-fi hits of the 90s, alongside Star Trek, which later took Bakula on as the first captain of the Enterprise. I used to watch it as a matter of course back then, rarely missing an episode in my late teens - it was original, well written and for the time cutting edge in terms of effects (very hard to believe now!). Why my daughter loves it so much I couldn't really say for sure, but to see her face when she watched her first episode and realised the possibilities of the central premise was priceless. Re-watching it with her you realise that its success is a mix of the terrific writing, the chemistry between Sam and Al and the incredibly likeable performance of Bakula, who really does come across as an angelic figure as he faces every moral dilemna you can think of in his mission to save the lives of those he meets and ultimately strives to "leap" home. I had a quick look at some old fansites of the show and was amazed to find that although he turned up in his own town during his own lifetime a few times he never did actually make it home! That idea makes me a bit melancholy, but also makes me smile to think that somewhere he might still be out there... If half of todays shows aimed at family viewing were half this good I'd still be watching more TV. Kx

Australian Open

2006-02-20T14:13:00.000Z

The first big sports event of 2006 took place down under in temperatures reaching 40C, providing yet another Grand Slam title for the most dominant sportsman on the planet at this time - Roger Federer. Without Sky TV and with their day kicking off at midnight UK time I had to rely on the internet radio service coming live from Melbourne every day to keep up with the latest scores. It sounds a bit naff to say I "listened" to tennis, but it really was an excellent service with top commentaries delivered with a distinctive Aussie sense of fun - and what's more they even read out my e-mail about the future of Scotland's Andy Murray, who unfortunately went out in the first round before he had the chance to meet their own Leyton Hewitt, who was well under par. Right from the start though it was all about big Roge in the men's singles as he blasted past all competitors with power and grace, making one of the most difficult games in the world look stupidly easy. This year is about him achieving the Grand Slam and on this evidence who can stop him? His biggest test may come in Paris in the Summer, but for now domination is far too mild a word! In the women's game there was a big comeback for "The Swiss Miss", Martina Hingis, out for some time feared never to return, but she showed why she was a champion in the first place in the early rounds, reaching the quarter finals before losing out in 3 sets to Belgium's Kim Clijsters - my tip, who herself was beaten in the semis by eventual winner Amelie Mauresmo. Considering that I only managed to see the finals on TV I couldn't possibly have enjoyed it more, keeping up with the stats and draws on their superlative website, and dreaming all the while that I was down there kicking back with a few tinnies, soaking up the rays. It sure added a touch of light into the darkest part of the Scottish winter. Kx

Napoleon Dynamite

2006-02-18T12:57:00.000Z

The term "Cult Status" was never more applicable! If you are fortunate enough to get the joke of the strange and vivid world of Napoleon Dynamite then it may end up in your top ten. Equally, I can imagine a lot of people watching in gormless amazement before coming away thinking they've witnessed one of the worst films ever made. People were forever asking me if I'd seen it yet (several who loved it and one or two who hated it) so I had to find out for myself. To make the surreal aspect of this unique little movie worse I had a huge cold on my first viewing and just couldn't believe what I was seeing! Set somewhere in a mythical void between the 80s and the present day and centering around the life and loves of the geeky eponymous hero as he bounds randomly through his last days of school with equally kookie friends Pedro and Debbie. Owing a lot to the films of Wes Anderson, perhaps, it is a colourful journey, produced in pop-video segments that embrace the bizarre in every frame. Some of the gags are a bit overdone, however, and it succeeds best in its more subtle details. The dialogue is at times pure genius on the most puerile level, almost daring you to laugh at just how silly it is. But its true appeal lies in a brilliantly observed central performance by Jon Heder: his Napoleon is brought to life to stand as one of the great comedy creations of all time; it is not only what he says but the way he says it and how he looks as he says it (try the ND soundboard by clicking the title link above - great fun). As a movie it really can't be endorsed as a "good" film, it is average fare elevated by moments of quirky inspiration and a wonderfully satisfying payoff in Napoleon's last dance (a scene that will live forever in movie legend). I feel that the writers and director missed as many notes as they hit, letting it down in certain areas. But saying that, any future film that bears the tag "from the makers of Napoleon Dynamite" simply must be seen. Mixed feelings - 7/10 Kx

Jose Gonzalez

2006-02-18T12:24:00.000Z

This Neo-Folk album was actually first released back in 2003. Perhaps surprising to its new set of fans, turned on to it by the high profile commercial (the one with all the bouncy balls) that used Heartbeats as its soundtrack. You could have been forgiven on first hearing that song that you were listening to a new release by Iron and Wine - probably the most successful proponent of the genre - I certainly did, and with much enthusiasm, as I love nothing better on a Sunday afternoon or late at night than a mellow vibe and an acoustic guitar. Well, there's plenty of that here, almost to the point of being repetitive, but not quite to the point of irritation. True, there is not much variation, but why should there be when what he does well is so beautiful? It drifts over you, creates a background - it's not meant to be deep or thought provoking, just simple and romantic and soothing. And for that it works. I would still give preference to the aforementioned act, Iron and Wine, if pressed, purely because there is something infinitely soulful about that sound which perhaps gets swallowed by the more tangible presence of foreground instrumentation in Gonzalez's work. It will stay in my collection for a long time though, I believe, getting a run out from time to time when the mood takes me. The interesting thing really is how so much attention can be generated from one commecial where previously there was very little. If I'm right in thinking, it has been a top ten album here in the UK since Christmas, and that is no mean feat for a non-mainstream act. Still, I'm not complaining - I'd rather see this in there than Will Young or The Pussycat Dolls any day! 7/10 Kx

24: Series Four

2006-02-15T12:42:00.000Z

With season five about to begin on Sky I finally managed to catch season four on DVD, spread over about 3 months. I came to this franchise very late to begin with - almost two years after series one first aired - but lost no time catching up. The first day in the tragic life of Jack Bauer was a revelation; the second day was a real thrill and still probably the best season; by series three there were some repetitions, but the team stepped up to the bar to deliver some exceptionally tense episodes. By season four daughter Kim is gone, President Palmer is nowhere to be seen and Jack has a new squeeze in tow, daughter of the senator he is employed to protect now that CTU no longer require his services. 24 has always been about the cliffhangers - taking a situation to breaking point and then leaving us dangling there till the next episode, the famous clock ticking all the while. The context for series four is once again international terrorism, and the producers address the modern world in a very compelling way, balancing our fascinations with spies, technology and backstabbing politics to create a seductive whole just on the edge of believability. But the real secret to 24 is the characters, their inter-relationships, the way we care about their lives in situations of mortal danger, whether from a bomb, a bullet or a broken heart. At times it becomes laughable, descending into soap opera or sickening American gung ho-ism, but it is never less than entertaining no matter how ridiculous the plot becomes. It is quite a feat to make a show that fits 24 hours in the lives of dozens of characters into, er, well 24 hours of film (about 20 if you take away the commercials), so any criticism is pretty redundant; it simply is Top Telly and there can be no doubt about its classic status, or, indeed about the cult status of its central hero Mr Jack Bauer: all purpose action man for the 21st century. Where does this last series rate? Well, it's up there at times, perhaps getting a little flabby in the middle, but there is a lot of innovation and some expertly timed re-introductions of old characters that have you cheering at the screen. Certainly, there is nothing to put me off watching a fifth series from beginning to end - and with Jack officially dead now the new hook is a stroke of near genius. 24 is what it is and I love it. 8/10 Kx

Hard-Fi

2006-02-08T13:21:00.000Z

With an album as good as this it is only a matter of time whether you own it or not! It starts with the first song you hear - for me it was Hard To Beat, performed at the Mercury Music Awards. I thought, yeah that's OK, but never heard of them, that's probably their only decent song and now they've had their fifteen minutes of fame they'll disappear into obscurity. Wrong! A few weeks after that and you couldn't move without hearing or seeing them - Cash Machine was everywhere as a single and a lot of other tracks were getting radio attention, it was time to listen to the full album. To say I was blown away is a bit strong; there are a few weaker tracks in the running order that after a few plays you just want to skip to get to the main course. But there are also six or seven outstanding tunes that belt out at you relentlessly, demanding repeat play. OK, so at heart these boys are a bit aggressive, there's a lot of urban angst coming through, but a lot of intelligence too. Maybe I just needed to bang my head and work out a bit of anger, but for some reason I took hold of it for a few weeks and rarely wanted to listen to anything else. Imagine my delight then upon finding out they were to play Edinburgh on Hogmanay...! It certainly added excitement to the build up and my first street party in 3 years. Supported by new Scottish band Brothers and Sisters (who weren't half bad, watch this space) the lads made it onto the Waverley stage by 11pm and totally rocked the 100,000 or so revellers within earshot, kicking off with Cash Machine, reaching a peak with a superb cover of Seven Nation Army (White Stripes) and going into orgasmic frenzy for Living For the Weekend - "not only is it New Year's Eve, it's Saturday!" cried charismatic frontman Richard Archer (not the greatest live singer in the world, but masses of energy and youthful swagger). Timed to perfection their set ended just before the fireworks, and who cared that it took 25 minutes to squeeze back onto Princes St? It kicked off one hell of a party and that's all that mattered. Maybe they will drop off the radar as quickly as they have appeared on it, maybe their energy will burn itself out and the zeitgeist will move on, but there is certainly a potent songwriting talent here and I hope it sticks around for more than a quick flash in the pan. 9/10 Kx

King Kong

2006-02-07T21:00:00.000Z

Of the big three blockbusters leading up to Christmas (Potter, Narnia & Kong) I was perhaps least excited by this one. Don't ask me why - it was clearly going to be aimed at a more adult audience, had the best director by a monster margin and a cast to die screaming in the jungle for! Maybe I was worried it just wouldn't work and we'd have another Godzilla on our hands? Maybe I sensed the casting of Jack Black as the lead and Adrien Brody as the male love interest just wouldn't work, despite their fine work in other genres? Maybe the thought of a 30 foot CGI monkey just left me cold? I don't know - but I really needn't have fretted. So my initial reaction was that it was much too long, indulgent even, but it had been a long day and a misjudged double bill with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe had left me a little drained. Put it this way, what worked really worked, and there was plenty to admire. Filmed in three distinct sections, the journey to the island, full of build and anticipation, Kong's discovery and capture, full of thrills , shocks and scares, and back in New York, the pay-off leading to the extraordinary Empire state recreation, it is an immediately unsettling movie that manipulates the audience well. The superior middle section out-climaxes the climax however, leaving you a little numb by the closing credits that have seemed a long way off for the last hour. Black and Brody were better than expected, especially Jack, who I imagine will get a lot more offers of serious roles after this. Equally, Naomi Watts lived up to the part with adequate flair and was on the whole an enjoyable and sympathetic heroine. But top honours have to go, yet again, to a largely uncredited Andy Sirkis, who not only broke more new ground with his CG enhanced performance as Kong, but offered a marvelously comic turn as the ships cook - a character that suffers one of the best deaths in cinema history (not a person in the house that wasn't cringing!) and is gifted with the movies best line too (the one about the footprint and the Abominable Snowman). More to like than not then, and I look forward to seeing it again when a bit less jaded. It's great that new epics can still be created and embraced with the positive reactions that this got across the board generally. Just a shame it couldn't have been a bit tighter and brave enough to ditch the dead end subplots. Oscar deemed it worthy of only four technical nominations recently and I have to say that that's about right. 8/10 Kx

Narnia

2006-02-07T19:30:00.000Z

It was the weekend, there were two big new movies out, both suitable for kids, what else were we going to do? It had to be a double bill with a slap-up meal inbetween - my idea of heaven and I'm not ashamed to admit it! Of course, the success of the day does depend on the quality of the movies, and though I had high hopes I also had hidden fears of being let down... The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe means so much to so many people of different generations - I certainly remember reading it at school and then continuing the series on my own at home, full of awe and wonder; a special kind of magic existed in C. S. Lewis' books that didn't exist anywhere else, they were unique and very very special. A big burden for a new film to bear. Certain details would be crucial: a realistic sense of period and place, good child actors and, most importantly, Aslan - he must be huge, overwhelmingly powerful and commanding, yet ever gentle, a tough goal for CGI... So, the movie unfolded and, yeah, I enjoyed it - at no point did I find myself cringing in horror at what had been misinterpreted, but neither did I get shivers down my back at the glory of it. Everything was just OK, adequate rather than spellbinding - the kids were fine, though often wooden, the effects were fine, but I'd seen better, the story was faithful, but somehow uninspired, and Aslan was bearable, but nowhere near perfect. By the end credits I'd come to realise that what we had here was something made specifically for small children coming to the story for the first time: the target age was set very low, with little thought to all of us who had grown up with it in our heads. A shame for sure, that something with such potential comes away as merely average. I'll watch it again, probably enjoy it again, but somewhere in a lot of people's heads there is a better version still waiting to be made. 6.5/10 Kx

A Short History...

2006-02-05T13:38:00.000Z

... Of Nearly Everything. And it really is! I got this exceptionally entertaining and educational book for Christmas 2004 and it took me almost the whole of 2005 to finish it, so it is fitting that it should be my first post in an attempt to catch up on things from the two months I wasn't able to update The Wasteland. It didn't take me a long time to read because it was hard work or boring, far from it, it is wonderfully accessible, never repetitive and manages to avoid technical science-speak that is above 99% of the population. What Bryson does is attempt to answer all the questions a reasonably curious human being might want to know about our universe but has always been afraid to ask. He takes the basic knowledge that all of us have and expands upon it in easy to understand terms until our minds are boggled by the sheer improbability of existence, invention and inspiration. He tackles Time, Space, The Natural World, Evolution and all points inbetween, weaving his tales of discovery around the fabulously colourful real characters involved in the history of science, mathematics and exploration. It is the eccentricities of these influential men and women, and the sheer scale of coincidence that led them to success or failure, that fascinated me most and kept me riveted - he makes cold facts come alive by giving science a human face that lies somewhere between religion and secular skepticism, resulting in a wonderful journey that admits the interconnectedness of all things without denying a seeming randomness too. The great thing is that it doesn't ever judge, it is brutally impartial, leading each reader to create their own conclusions from the apparent evidence. From chapter to chapter there was so much that I wanted to retain in order to impress people with weird and wonderful facts during lulls in pub conversation - this book is a major accomplishment and something that everyone should read at some point. I know that I will be keeping it handy for reference, for it simply is the best non-fiction book I've ever read. 10/10 Kx

Oscar Nominations

2006-01-31T20:43:00.000Z

Yes, as I speak bald and bearded men are frantically polishing a hoard of little gold fellas ready for March 5th and the glitz and glam of the 78th Oscars. There seem to have been more awards events leading up to the big one than ever this year: Golden Globes, Critics Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, etc., etc., but nothing invokes excitement like the original red carpet extravaganza, does it? It's easy to be cynical, and with winners voted for by academy members often harbouring specific political agendas some of those cynicisms are justified - The best film does not always win, and the right people often win for the wrong thing. However it is a strong year in 2006, as one look at the five Best Film nominations shows (click link above to see full list of nominations). I'm very pleased that Crash got a nod, especially as older films can get overlooked in the whirlwind hype of newer movies. But it is Brokeback Mountain that continues its good run with the most nominations, shortlisted in eight categories. This comes as no surprise if the bandwagon of the bigger awards events is to be believed. The question is will the academy collectively decide it is time to "vote gay", finally accepting a subject that has been something of a taboo, or will the likely division mean another film slips in the back door (so to speak)? That film could be any of the other four who all hold strong dark horse aspirations. For me I would like to see Munich win - I loved B.M. as an entertainment, connecting with it more emotionally perhaps, and Crash would be my favourite for watchabilty, but my head tells me Spielberg's most serious film since Shindler's List is the "best" film and will have a longevity that makes it grow and grow in people's estimations. For acting honours surely it is time for Phillip Seymour Hoffman to step up to the big league, although I would not be unhappy to see Joaquin win for his superb Johnny Cash impersonation. Reese Witherspoon stands out in the weaker female catagory (although I've not seen 2 of the films), also for Walk The Line. And elsewhere, well, I think it will be pretty spread out, with no one film emerging as a clear favourite. But you can never ever tell - strange things happen on Oscar night - as long as someone cries, someone trips on the way to the podium and someone controversially mentions "the war" the night will be complete. Am I showing my dark side to admit my favourite part of the evening is the obituary montage? They really know how to milk it, it can't be beaten for melodrama and sentimentality. Can't wait! Kx

Sorry!

2006-01-31T16:56:00.000Z

I am, I really am! Another stint AWOL from the Wasteland has left me feeling very guilty and strangely hollow - I can't apologise enough... If only sitting on the sofa and then writing about it paid the rent I would be a much happier being, but I was lured away by the promise of a payday and now have a mountain to climb to pay recompense. Being absent from posting here hasn't meant that I haven't being absorbing a few cultural treats, however, so let me assure you that I will be attempting to catch up on all the best stuff I've seen, heard, read and otherwise enjoyed over the past two months. I have at least a dozen things I'm burning to comment on, so if you can bear with me for a few days I promise things will be back on track in no time. I feel better already. Peace, and long live Ronnie Corbett!

Fiona Apple

2005-12-05T01:15:00.000Z

This was a long time coming. After two astonishingly mature (beyond her years at least) and rich albums it looked as if female singer songwriters had a new champion, taking the torch from the likes of Alanis Morrisette and Beth Orton - but something happened... Rumours abounded of rifts with record company execs, of nervous breakdowns, anorexia and severe depression. All I knew was that in the years of silence the world lacked the originality and strange soul that was Fiona Apple. I just adore everything about her and have done ever since I saw the PT Anderson directed video of Across The Universe, the main theme to the movie Pleasantville. I next saw her popping up in the behind the scenes footage of Magnolia, with PT (who she comments on often in her new lyrics) and fell in love with her shyness, intelligence and obvious talent. Her songs fill the room you're in with mood, challenging you to feel - sometimes it's joy, sometimes anger, sometimes frustration, sometimes deep loss, but it's all there! The melodies of her previous work stretch your taste, so that if you meet them the wrong way they will scrape and jar... but that is indicative of the passion which motivates this sometime young genius. She has gone on record both in interviews and in her song lyrics as saying singing and the fame it has afforded is something that panics her and something she needed to leave for a while to find some peace of mind. And in this new record the experience she has gone through comes out in every note, every word, sweet, bitter and a little bit older. A quick glance at her website (click title) will allow you to see a set of photos that show the ever photogenic waif to be less edgy and intense, more soft, mature, yet still deeply scarred - I think she looks great, I could always melt in those eyes (gush!). But it is the music that I'm most excited about, of course - nothing is easy, there are multiple uses of discord and "noise", but each and every song is laced with beauty in some way; often revealing, touching, thought provoking and life affirming, and never, ever dull. As seems to be normal with things I worship beyond reason, this is not for everyone (those who despise a hint of jazz in any way should stay away), but for those lucky enough to get it I'm sure we are all of the same mind in wanting more, much more before another five years go by. 9/10 Kx

The Goblet Of Fire

2005-11-19T20:30:00.000Z

If you are between 6 and 11 this was the most anticipated event of the year, naturally - and as I'm lucky enough to witness and share in the excitement of one particular nine year old I find it difficult to see the cynicism most childless adults have to this iconic series. Being in a full cinema on a Saturday morning and feeling the air buzz with nervous energy and hope for a movie is something very special whatever the actual film in question. Those I know above the age of 13 that have allowed themselves to enjoy the books say that Goblet of Fire is their favourite - It is deeper, darker, more grown up and 3 times as long as the preceding 3, and as such must have caused the execs a fair few headaches in pre-production. It was always going to have to be one film albeit a much condensed version of the book, purely for marketing reasons, and even at a popcorn stretching 2hrs and 40 minutes is way too short to represent its print version with any accuracy. And herein lie all its problems; those who have not read the book will become confused to the point of not caring as key events are skimmed over in 20 seconds, if at all, and very little is explained enough to give the climax its necessary gravity. Not that what is in there is bad, it does have a different atmosphere about it, brought in by the new director, but most scenes are handled very well, especially the last half hour and the re-emergence of Lord Voldemort (a deliciously creepy Ralph Fiennes stealing the show), but there is so much missing the whole falls way short of the sense of doom that should be present as the credits roll. Also I have to mention the main trio of teenagers... As younger actors it was easier to forgive their inexperience and lack of emotional depth, but they have done 4 of these things now and things really are not improving; now they are just beginning to look stupid surrounded as they are by the cream of British talent. Indeed the grown ups were outstanding as ever in their roles, but Rickman and the rest were shamefully underused, with Brendan Gleeson as the new dark arts teacher Mad Eye Moody the only one allowed the scope to camp it up in style - he is hilarious, a great character that saves the tone from entering the realm of the mediocre more than once. What this needs is a longer directors cut to fill it out, I don't know if such a thing exists, but if not I may even have to think twice about buying the DVD and seeing it again... Who am I kidding? My daughter is nine! Of course we'll buy it - it's the law. 7/10 Kx

Jonathan Strange

2005-11-17T03:00:00.000Z

A quick look back over the last year of The Wasteland archives reveals the embarrassing fact that I've only managed to get through 3 books from cover to cover in a twelve month period - and one of those I read twice! This has to be an all time low in my adult life and something I definitely need to address. Of course technology is largely to blame in various forms, so it is nice that the book that had the power to grab my attention contains nothing more modern than 1818 and is over a thousand pages long!! It concerns two magicians who live in an early 19th century England that presupposes a rich and very real history of magic alongside the facts and events we are familiar with. One (Mr Norrell) is a fusty bookworm, very conservative and twitchy in nature, whose aim is to revive the great tradition of English magic with himself and his beloved library as its exclusive centre, and the other is a young and immensely talented upstart, who begins as the others' apprentice only to blossom into something much wilder and unpredictable, whose goal is to restore to power the legendary Raven King of old Newcastle. Susanna Clarke, in this remarkable debut, binds non fussy and rooted narrative with such outrageous fancies that we have no problem accepting that the Napoleonic wars were influenced by spells and fairies. Wellington, Byron and the mad king George III provide a backbone of real persons around which the protagonists together with a wealth of other vividly drawn characters weave a strange tale indeed - of rivalry, prophecy, loss, love, ambition and destiny. It is this range of characters that make it such a compelling read - Vinculus the filthy street conjurer; Childermass, Norrell's shady "man of business" (and my personal favourite); Stephen Black, the enchanted servant destined to be king; the elusive Raven King himself, John Uskglass; and, above all, the mischievous fairy known only as "The Gentleman with thistledown hair"... each is so different and so alive that it is a genuine thrill to follow them to the book's hugely satisfying conclusion. As a debut, you begin by wondering if the interesting premise will hold water for such a length as a thousand pages, especially as the early chapters meander in a quite pedestrian way through so many subjects it is impossible to see them becoming collectively relevant, but by the arrival of Strange in the second section of three they do; in fact becoming such indispensable details that you chide yourself for being so narrow-sighted. The second thing that happens is you begin projecting possible outcomes and start to wish for certain things to come about, which, again, they eventually do, only not perhaps in the way you imagined...! By the last 3rd I was in love with this book and continued to have my expectations of it surpassed by its ingenious devices, messages and pure imagination. It exists now for me in the same league as other great fantasy tomes I have read and adored - The Lord of The Rings, Gormenghast and the His Dark Materials trilogy. It really is that good and 50 years from now will surely be revered as a classic of the early 21st century - I urge everyone to find the time to drift off into its world and allow yourself to be carried away. I believe the rights for the film are already sold (I, for one, will be submitting my C.V.), but try to read it before the images of that cloud your experience of it - I can never now think of Tolkien's classic without seeing Viggo Mortensen et al, and as much as I love the movies it is the written word and that long slow pleasure of reading that gives it its true magic. 10/10 Kx

Goldfrapp

2005-11-10T14:00:00.000Z

Of the latest batch of albums out there this Autumn there is not a lot that has taken my fancy - the pre-Christmas market seems to get flooded with the bland and the repetitive and you have to fish a little for something original. Well, I'm not sure this album can be classified as original, as at times it has deliciously reminded me of Abba, Kate Bush, Gary Newman, OMD, T-Rex and even a bit of Kylie! What are you doing? - I hear you cry - That sounds bloody awful! Perhaps if this had come to me in a different mood I would be agreeing with you, but I put it on in reverence to the one or two tracks I liked from their debut album Felt Mountain and found something almost entirely different but immediately likeable - and it lasted the whole album with no breaks! What we have here then is a collection of superbly crafted pop songs designed to help you get your funk on in style! And for some reason I couldn't be more delighted... All the pretension of earlier works has been swept away and you'd be hard pressed to find anything too deep here, but aurally, as long as you're partial to a little electronica, like me, then you're in for a treat. They seem to have found the trick of great pop hooks and catchy choruses and layered them with their distictively European blend of future and retro to create a sensational whole. My favourite track keeps changing between several excellent candidates and I find myself playing the entire album through almost once a day. There may very well come a day when I can't stand the thought of it but for now I just Love it - ooh la la... 9/10 Kx

Nanny McPhee

2005-11-06T20:15:00.000Z

The plan for bonfire night - a strangely unique British holiday, celebrating someone trying to blow something up and failing - was to get down to Meadowbank stadium and enjoy the pyrotechnics in the chill November air; an event which has become an annual treat. But we failed to realise that it was the 400th anniversary of Guy Faulks' plot and the extra celebrations planned had inspired everyone and their dogs to snap up all the tickets in advance! There was nothing for it but to check the cinema listings for something suitably PG, and that turned out to be the Emma Thompson scripted Nanny McPhee. The idea didn't exactly fill me with excitement, but the revelation of an undiscovered cinema in Edinburgh did. The Dominion in Morningside has been here much longer than I have yet somehow it had managed to hide beneath the shadow of the multiplexes till now. It's big appeal is that it has managed to maintain its independence with a touch of class, to say the least - a beautiful bar with regency trimmings, ushers in proper waiscoats and leather sofas and footstools in every screen! Making it more like a posh theatre than a cinema, a real flashback to how it used to be. What luxury to be able to take your shoes off and lay back while watching on the big screen - by the end I had all but forgotten there were other people there, so much was it like my own livingroom. Brilliant! As for the film: not bad at all - sickly sweet and very predictable, but it is aimed at very young ones. It does have a touch of class wrapped up in an entirely British sensibility that draws obvious comparisons to Mary Poppins. There is a lot of magic in there and only time will tell if it can come close to the status that film enjoys. Personally I could have done without the talking donkey, but I am 32... 7.5/10 Kx

Saw

2005-11-01T10:30:00.000Z

And to finish off a day of movies no Halloween would be complete without a proper shocker at home with all the lights off. Adverts for Saw II were everywhere, so I looked back on reviews of the first movie, which had passed me by, to see if it was worth a look. To my surprise the reviews were indeed very good and I wondered why it had slipped my radar first time around. It all begins very ominously with two men chained to opposite ends of a dark and disgusting bathroom with a dead man face down in a pool of blood in the middle. Slowly they realise they are part of a game being played by an inventive serial killer who wants his victims to appreciate the value of their lives which they have somehow taken for granted. It is effective enough in some scenes, certainly very creepy, and were it not for the plethora of cliches and some terribly camp acting this would have been much closer to its obvious model, Seven. There are jumps, twists and gore aplenty, loosely hung on a pretty good premise that doesn't quite live up to the potential it suggests. The main question asked is would you lop off your own leg with a hacksaw if it meant you could live? Tough one! Cary Elwes is so overthetop towards the end that you get the requisite horror laughs too, something that Danny Glover's obsessed cop also contributes to. It is an instantly disposable and enjoyable film which for the genre actually achieves a lot more than the average fare, but is by no means a good movie. Perfect for the evening but not one for the collection. 6.5/10 K.

Corpse Bride

2005-10-31T22:15:00.000Z

Typical - you don't go to the movies for ages then you end up going twice in the same day! Today was Halloween and collecting my daughter from school I thought it was the perfect time to go and see Tim Burton's latest animation. He has been quite prolific in the last few years and his hard work culminates in this project that was mostly done simultaneously with the live action Charlie and the Chocolate factory. Johnny Depp provides the voice for the main character, a bumbling young man who inadvertently raises the dead when practicing his wedding vows in a haunted wood. Since the days of the magnificent Nightmare Before Christmas the animation has come on lightyears, of course, and looks absolutely beautiful in every Goth tinged detail. There are some cute songs in the mix, some colourful characters of all shapes and sizes and almost too much to take in on first view, such is the depth of imagination. Mesmerizing was never a more appropriate word and if you are a fan of what Burton does then this will be perfection for you from start to finish. I much preferred it to the Roald Dahl remake - it just seemed as if there were no bounds to what could happen and the simplicity of the tale made it all the more entertaining. Taking it from a child's point of view I can only say that this got a better reaction from Josie than anything we have seen all year, bar none. It is very clever, very funny and has that quaint old fashioned atmosphere that Burton does so well. 9/10. Kx

Serenity

2005-10-31T17:30:00.000Z

A good while since I went to the cinema and an ever expanding list of things I wanted to see passing me by meant that a Halloween matinee seemed like a real treat. My first choice would have been Broken Flowers but it was on at the wrong time so I went for Joss Whedon's Serenity, the big screen version of cancelled TV Sci-Fi show Firefly. Word of mouth was very good for this unlikely success story and despite clips of scenes I'd seen looking like a slightly bigger budget TV pilot I thought I'd give it a go. Which turned out to be a good move - right from the start it appealed to the closet Trekkie in me and I found myself having a whale of a time being introduced to new characters, a new universe, new good guys and new bad guys. The backbone of what Whedon does well is always a set of rich characters with satisfying backstories being placed in interesting situations and given sparkling dialogue with a nudge and a wink to all sources of pop-culture never far away. And that's what you get here, perhaps in its most effective form ever! Yes, it is derivative - everything from Star Wars to Star Trek to Blade Runner and Blake's Seven is paid homage to in a cocktail of all things interstellar that somehow comes together in a totally original way. The original TV cast reprise their roles with relish (as if their very careers depended on it), including main man Nathan Fillion as captain of Serenity and leader of a down and dirty crew of space cowboys down on their luck. The rest of the cast do well enough, but it is Fillion's movie - the guy is a star! He delivers lines of dry wit, sarcasm, angst and strangled heartache with real panache, convincing us that all the inevitable comparisons to Harrison Ford are not as misplaced as you might think. Serenity has something that a lot of Sci-Fi, or fantasy films of any kind forget to have: a heart! Audiences will forgive any amount of wobbly sets and dubious plot devices so long as we care what happens to the people at the centre of it. In that, and in many other ways too, this is a complete gem worthy of more than just cult status and certainly a sequel or two. 8.5/10 Kx

World Series

2005-10-27T18:00:00.000+01:00

Last night saw another big baseball "curse" lifted as the Chicago White Sox won 1-0 in the fourth game to take the world series with a sweep over the offensively poor Houston Astros. This was only my second year paying any kind of attention to baseball, after watching the Red Sox come though in amazing, record breaking style against the Yankees and then the world series last season. Being a little more familiar with the game made it much more interesting to watch and right from game one I was hooked on the drama of it all and the complex tactics of both sides. I was pretty much neutral but had a feeling the Sox were the stronger team and so it proved. The highlight of the four nights had to be Scott Podsednik getting an unlikely home run in the bottom of the ninth in game two - without that the series probably would have gone on longer and I'd be up all night again tonight with game 5. But not to be. The Sox were worthy winners and the Astros were gallant losers - in all it was just a terrific spectacle for sports fans. OK game four was a bit of an anti-climax and not so exciting being primarily a shootout between the pitchers but the preceding three games were all thrilling in one way or another - game 3 perhaps most of all as it became the longest game in world series history at 5 hours and 41 minutes and lasting 14 innings! I have to take my hat off to channel Five, who have covered American sports in Britain for a decade now - their coverage was superb, including the 2 guys in the studio and their very funny banter. Credit to them for staying on air till 7:30am for game 3 and for a memorable experience. Don't know that I'll ever become devoted to a particular team or even follow the regular season too closely next year, but for the world series at least I can say I will never miss it again - If only for the reason that this is a sport that positively encourages facial hair! This is a game with tremendous history and a great deal of soul and I love it! Go Chicago... Kx

Franz Ferdinand

2005-10-25T16:45:00.000+01:00

Franz Ferdinand were one of the biggest bands of 2004, demonstrating a geeky chic style that was both new and retro at the same time. In 2005 they are still huge, but are no longer the cool new thing and so a second album was always going to be difficult for them. Their eponymous debut sold by the vanload, but it was their catchy singles that got them noticed and kept them being played on ipods everywhere. I loved Take Me Out (still do!) and enjoyed subsequent releases almost as much, without even feeling they were indispensable - and that's a feeling very much carried forward to this new bunch of tunes. It is a decent set, but it already sounds old and collectively becomes hard to listen to from start to finish as an air of repetition creeps in. Walk Away is perhaps the stand-out tune waiting to be number one everywhere, and my favourite, although there are one or two growers on there too. As a whole it falls short of the sum of its parts and is a little flat compared to its predecessor. Is it because their style is so vivid they left themselves with nowhere to go in any substantial way? They may have been adored by hoards of art students everywhere, but I predict the fanbase will disappear as quickly as it arrived, and there won't be that many tears shed by me for that. 6/10 Kx

Superman

2005-10-22T14:30:00.000+01:00

More and more news of Bryan Singer's exciting new Superman movie, due for release next Summer emerges every day - and with access to bluetights.net and Singer's daily video log of the production it is easy to jump on the hype bandwagon. Seeing pictures of the new guy (Brandon Routh) in the famous costume and in the garb of mild mannered reporter Clark Kent you can't help but think back to Christopher Reeve. This led me to go out and buy the original 2 movies (3 and 4 don't could: they are rubbish!) in a secondhand boxset and introduce my daughter to them before she gets a chance to have the new images imprinted on her young brain. And I was glad I did, because you forget just how great they are! The then totally unknown Reeve is an absolute star from the first frame he appears, and manages to create believable differences between Clark and his alter-ego with effortless grace. OK the flying scenes now look old and don't have the magic they once did, but it is the scenes as Kent in the offices of the Daily Planet or bantering with Lois Lane that still shine. The scripting is well paced, the action still worthy of the name and the emotion underneath it all is surprisingly effective. And it is the latter which truly holds the secret of Superman's success - seeing him scream and fly off around the world so fast he reverses time when he finds Lois dead at the end of the first movie really brought a lump to my throat: it is very intense, giving the whole film a credibility that has really only ever been approached by the Spiderman movies, but never bettered. And then there's Gene Hackman! The casting of Kevin Spacey as arch nemesis Lex Luther is inspired but as with every other aspect of the production he really has his work cut out to match the original. As with Star Wars, Superman is so intrinsically a part of my childhood that it is almost sacred - be very careful Bryan... I have faith, but will not forgive easily if you mess this up! Kx

GTA: San Andreas

2005-10-18T15:15:00.000+01:00

It seems very wrong to go from talking about Gandhi to this, but it is true that mere hours after watching the Ben Kingsley classic, a deeply emotional cry for peace in every aspect of our lives, I was beating up whores with a purple dildo and spraying anyone with the wrong coloured headscarf with various lethal projectiles...! One of the reasons I got an Xbox in the first place was to try out this game and see what everyone had been raving about. And it is evident why it is so popular - the game is vast, graphically astonishing, very addictive, wise and knowing, but still mercilessly violent: the ultimate package. It is pretty easy to master the basics and dive into the world of San Andreas. You have almost unlimited choice in how to live your life as Carl, resident of Ganton and recent ex-con; take a trip to the gym and work out till you look like Mike Tyson, gorge yourself on pizza or friend chicken at any of the myriad take-aways, play pool with the local shark, shop for cool clothes and accessories, or, indeed go on a psychopathic rampage and eventual high speed chase with the law in your choice of vehicle. Everything about the game can be customised to your taste, as long as in the end you are prepared to accept the missions laid out for you and do a bit of killing. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mean to take the highground and damn the violence unequivocally, it's fun, as long as you take it with tongue in cheek as it is meant - but there is something about it all that I find so depressing! Whenever I get the itch to play for a while it is hilarious fun, but after an hour or two it creeps into your psyche and twists your insides a little: it is one of those games that is so huge, yet empty it leaves you feeling quite lonely and you just have to turn it off for the good of your health - does that make sense? So it is a love hate relationship then. I love the design and scope of the game, but can't see me ever having the will to put time in to complete it. And so for that I'll have to give it a 7.5/10 from what would have maybe been a few points higher if I was a little less opposed to its vibe. It doesn't have an 18+ rating for nothing I suppose! Phew- where's my little book of calm? Kx

Gandhi

2005-10-15T15:30:00.000+01:00

It really has been rather a dull time for me as Autumn takes firm hold - a changing of seasons has brought on a change of moods and my head seems to want to go to more serious places. One of these over the past week has been to finally get the shrink wrap off the Gandhi DVD I bought a while back on a whim that I wanted to learn more about the man, his ideas and that time in history. I bought his autobiography too, but never got further than the first two chapters back then - a sign of the lack of discipline I have in doing anything that may actually be good for me. But this week the time seemed right and I settled down to the 3 hour plus epic that beat E.T. to Oscar glory in 1982. Now I may have seen parts of this over the years but never the full movie so a lot of this was new to me despite it almost reaching its silver anniversary... The first thing that hit me was the sheer scale of it: the early scenes setting president for something very grand in size, scope and ambition - so much so that I felt overwhelmed instantly, in the same way I did when I saw Laurence of Arabia for the first time. I was very moved by the story and felt a constant lump in my throat to think of how these ideas were just as relevant today as ever, and by the realisation that all this was true, that one man (and a very small man at that!) did make all this difference. Non violent resistance is such a powerful idea; so simple and true it resonates in the heart of any human being that values to be called such. Ben Kingsley is, of course, magnificent in a performance so natural that it has lost nothing in the passage of time, and it makes me realise that I've never seen him be bad in a movie - and the cast of stars supporting him (not to mention the largest number of extras ever assembled) is just too phenomenal to contemplate in this age, it simply could never happen now! All in all it has made me think quite a bit and taught me a great deal. I just need to finish the book now to embellish the ideas firmly. It's good once in a while to take a look at something old - it's refreshing. Kx

Death Cab For Cutie

2005-10-14T17:00:00.000+01:00

I missed it far too much so just had to sign on to Napster again - the freedom it gives you to listen to things you may not choose to buy is just to good ignore. I've done little else but try to catch up on what I'd let pass by in the last 2 months, and there seems to have been some good stuff. Top of the list so far is Death Cab For Cutie's latest release Plans. I listened to their critically acclaimed 2003 album Transatlanticism quite a bit in the Spring and have recommended it freely to anyone interested in alternative pop with a mellow edge. The new album follows much in the same vein, and whilst it may not be as loved by the indie crowd as their last release it is certainly the album that will launch the band into the limelight they deserve. It is a polished and highly accomplished collection of tunes, 50% of which will have you singing out loud in no time. I predict a good few singles will come from this, not least of all the beautiful I Will Follow You Into The Dark - one of my favourite songs of the moment by any band! There are many that begrudge a cult band making it big, as if they are losing something special and made just for them, but I've never understood it. The struggle of independence can certainly colour a band's mood and creative output, but ultimately good songs and good songwriters will emerge to become exactly as big or small as they need to be. Take REM - the IRS years were great and still wonderful to look back on, but who would deny the world their biggest successes in the 90s? One band, two complimentary periods - something I see Death Cab possibly emulating, starting right here. A very good album. 8.5/10 Kx

Still Friends

2005-10-12T15:30:00.000+01:00

You know, you turn the TV on, surf the channels and there's nothing you want to watch. So what do you do you look for something you've seen a million times and trust will at least be bearable in the background. The king of such programs has to be Friends. We've been watching it for over a decade now, but if it's on we'll still check it out to see which episode it is! E4, the Channel 4 entertainment channel have been showing back to back episodes from 5-6pm every day for a while so it's convenient to stick it on after my daughter gets home from school - and it's great to watch it with her because it's the first time she's seen a lot of them and she is getting to just the right age to get a lot of the jokes. You can't help but think how life would have been without these 6 faces in it, so ubiquitous have they become. Some of the gags are so classic you could watch them a million times; the dialogue is always so sharp and never misses a single opportunity to wring every comedy droplet from the platinum chemistry of all the characters. And funny that from season to season your favourite changes because, I think, each of the 6 actors at one time has shone as having the best comic timing. Not even a contender for TV hall of fame - it's been there from the start and there it will stay. Kx

England Qualify

2005-10-09T14:30:00.000+01:00

Saturday saw the first of 2 rounds of games to finally decide who will and who won't be going to Germany next Summer for the world cup. Amongst the many permutations a win for England and a win for Holland over the Czech Republic would mean that England would qualify with a game in hand. And yes, these two results did come about, but circumstances surrounding the facts are far more complicated and interesting. England have been under heavy criticism since their 1-0 defeat to Northern Ireland last month and Sven's job has been in serious danger. A win over Austria was the very least expected and a decent win was demanded, if only to boost confidence. The team looked good in the first half, with Owen and the Chelsea players, Lampard, Cole and Terry standing out. A deserved penalty went in relatively early and all looked fine - but the second goal didn't come and a second yellow card meant David Beckham was off again in a cloud of controversy, to leave England barely hanging on for the 3 points and coming away with mixed emotions. The game on Wednesday against Poland, then, is mostly academic, but unless the team can deliver a 3 or 4 nil scoreline the press and many fans will not be happy... Perhaps happier than France or Spain though, whose qualification still hangs very much in the balance - It seems absurd when teams like Iran and Angola are already through, but that is the way of things, leaving plenty to watch out for in midweek. After all is done and the 32 places decided the countdown will begin, with eleven months to the main event! I sense there are to be many changes before then - with the chance of a Swede being in the top job dropping to zero very quickly... Kx

I Am A Bird Now

2005-10-06T14:00:00.000+01:00

It has been one of the most boring weeks for entertainment since The Wasteland began, with everything I've done being a repeat of things already in the archives... I have gone back to a bit more reading - which is good, and I'll write up the reviews after I've finished each of the four books I've had on the go. In the meantime the only original thing to comment on is the Antony and the Johnsons Mercury Prize winning album I Am A Bird Now. I was curious about it rather than truly compelled to give it a listen and my view of it reflects that attitude. It is certainly unique and beautifully strange throughout its brief 35 minute running time, with Antony's voice a core of resonance and honest emotion. It is mostly reliant on standard blues and jazz themes that are tampered with in avant garde ways to create a moody and disturbing whole that changes your mind upon each listen. However, what points of beauty do exist are often negated by silliness or atonal nonsense that I can't find a reason to like. Equally, there just aren't enough stand out tracks to make it a classic in any sense - what it is is much as I expected: a quirky novelty that may inspire imitation and definitely deserves respect, but will never be the first album you reach for on any occasion. 6.5/10 Kx

Empire Online

2005-10-03T12:45:00.000+01:00

Talk about a waste of time... I was recently so bored I catalogued my entire music collection onto the Rate Your Music website! Not such a waste of time actually as I can now link my collection to their database and get recommendations on what I might like to listen to next, based on my ratings. Similarly I went to have a look at my favourite film website Empire Online and found they had completely updated and jazzed it up, making it much more user friendly and just generally smart looking - one of their new features is a facility to catalogue your DVD collection and see it listed with its Empire rating alongside. It wasn't a full database as yet and their were many omissions, but I was pleased to see that of the 65 films I did list not one had a rating below 4 stars, thus my collection received an Empire 5 star endorsement - good to know! The site also has great movie forums where the burning questions and rumours of the moment are discussed as well as unrivalled access to trailers, film stills and red carpet photos and interviews. Over the years their editorial consistency has made them one of the most trustworthy sources of movie knowledge around, and I can say without hesitation that they have rarely let me down. In the inaugural issue of the online magazine Jake Gyllenhaal is the man to watch, as they list 54 films this season you should look out for - and he's in 4 of them, including the #1 movie Sam Mendes' Jarhead. Others I am stilling very much looking forward to: Walk The Line with Joaquin Phoenix as Jonny Cash; V For Vendetta with a shaven headed Natalie Portman; Capote with the always quality Phillip Seymour Hoffman; and the big Winter triumverate of Kong, Potter and Narnia, of course. Go and see, click the title of this post, the link in the text above or the Empire banner in the sidebar. Kx

Scrabble Etc

2005-10-02T17:30:00.000+01:00

With all the multi-media entertainments out there you can easily forget to still enjoy the simple pleasures of things that don't need plugging in - like books and board games. If my reading has taken a knock from the allure of my DVD player and X-box it is nothing to the demise of my non electronic game playing; I used to play cards all the time, all sorts of games, but now I even play poker online at a virtual table. OK, so the Trivial Pursuit comes out about once every 3 months still, but that has been about the size of it. Then a few weeks back my daughter was given Cluedo for her birthday and it sparked a bit of a board game revival. Now you can only play so many games of Cluedo before it starts getting really repetitive, but the one game I'd really been missing was Scrabble - I've never been much of a Chess player; the length of time required to develop a decent game is a goal I've set aside for old age - but with Scrabble you get better game after game and need only a basic vocabulary to get you started. Each game is different, it lasts about the right length of time, and I always find it both educational and curiously calming. Of course you can be really mean too, or for fun play with only dirty words (harder than it sounds)! Inevitably I have spent as much time playing the real game with real wooden tiles as I have seeking out and playing an online version... I'm sure there are many similar such places but the one I found comes out of Romania, which shows the appeal this game still has! Click the title above to see their site and download the excellent game program. Go on - it's not just for pensioners you know. Kx

Fifa 2005

2005-09-30T14:15:00.000+01:00

Any male in possession of a games console must own a football game - it's the law! I have played several versions of this obligatory franchise over the years, as it has evolved from a barely playable novelty to the cutting edge of sports simulation. There are always problems with football sims - no one can ever agree on the best gameplay controls, and there have been many gimmicks adopted to try and spice things up. In this version it is the off the ball control and first touch moves that are the selling point. Both work fine, the latter being something that should be kept for future evolutions (including Fifa 2006 just released). I don't know how many hours it took me to complete the main challenge of this game, which is a 15 season role as manager and player (about 750 games!), but it has been over 2 months of regular play. A lot of those games were simulated, with the option to intervene at any point (another good addition to gameplay). Of course I had the best team the world has ever seen from about season 7, culminating in an unbeaten 14th season where a reincarnated Thierry Henry scored 56 goals! There are 2 more difficulty levels above "professional", which I played for the majority, but to be honest it's more fun to master the moves and then really kick ass - there is nothing more satisfying than a 7-0 win over AC Milan... Oh, and the best feature of this game: create your own player - #73 in the red of the Boro was a faithfully reproduced model of myself, but with the silky skills of a soccer god - fantasy and vanity all fulfilled. Goooooaaall. 8/10 Kx

No Direction Home

2005-09-28T20:00:00.000+01:00

Martin Scorsese's docu-film No Direction Home, celebrating, commemorating and reminiscing on almost 50 years in the music business for Bob Dylan showed over two nights on BBC, accompanied by a handful of other shorter films about the legend that refused to be labeled. Blood On The Tracks and Blonde On Blonde have been favourites of mine (and millions of others) since I first started appreciating music, but I never knew half the history of the man before this week! Telling of the early days and a move from Minnesota to Greenwich Village in 1961, we learn about his heroes and motivations, with comments from the man himself, who speaks very lucidly about events as if they were yesterday. The film flits between the years superbly showing the highs and the lows in equal measure - with some priceless footage of Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez and a host of other pioneers from folk, to blues, to rock and roll. Not to mention a heap of stuff, familiar and not so, of Mr Zimmerman himself - including footage of nights in Northern British towns playing to hundreds of booing "fans". And then, of course, you have the wealth of beautiful black and white photography that helped create an icon (a lot of which were taken by Andy Warhol). Everything about the guy in the 60s screamed of intelligence and effortless cool, and there is a good argument here that he was as important as John Lennon and Elvis, if not more so, in changing the world with music. He never wanted to be called a Folk singer and he never wanted to be called a Protest singer, he just wanted to be Bob Dylan, and thank God. The best moment for me in the 3 hour plus film was beat poet Allan Ginsberg chocking back the tears when remembering the first time he heard A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall. He led a generation back then, whether he intended to or not, just a shame there is nothing that remotely comes close to his genius in our own. Great stuff. Kx

Sin City

2005-09-26T14:00:00.000+01:00

Another of the early Summer's hits, but this time one I missed, much to my regret, at the cinema. What was I thinking not going to check this out? The trailer was superb, the cast a knockout and the concept right up my deserted, rain soaked alley... Maybe I was thinking that I didn't want to be let down - there was so much hype around at the time and a lot of other stuff to see, and I think I was waiting for enough good reviews, until I'd left it too late. A shame because visually it was designed for the big screen and I'm sure I would have got a big visceral buzz from it - at home, well, with the volume up loud, it was easy to get immersed in the seedy world of Frank Miller that Robert Rodriguez has so faithfully reproduced. The idea of anti-heroes and a city of permanant night appeals to my dark side as much as any of the graphic novels' many fans, and in this context the ultra-violent (and they are!) scenes are tinted with a certain peotry that lies in the black parts of everyone's soul. It has a lot to live up to and for about two thirds of the way it does it in spades - to look at it is as stunning as anything you'll see and a brief glimpse into what will be possible with real actors and full CG when it becomes cheaper any easier to harness the technology for independant film-makers; acting wise, well it's stylistic and some pull it off better than others - Mickey Rouke's Marv, as reported, is the stand-out, I could have watched a whole movie of him. As a director, Rodriguez is in familiar territory that he obviously loves and garnishes with a minute attention to detail, but sometimes his vision lacks the very soul it is trying to bring to life - it just doesn't have that certain something that would make it an absolute classic, it falls short by an indefinable hair. Maybe it's the sterility of a big Weinstein Hollywood production that weighs it down, I don't know. The genre will leave many cold and do little to convert those who found the idea juvenile, but, for me, it is still a terrific film with lots to admire - if in the right mood then this is the one you reach for; turn off your brain, turn down your conscience and enjoy... 8/10 Kx

The Hitch Hikers Guide...

2005-09-25T13:45:00.000+01:00

...To The Galaxy! I saw this at the cinema just at the start of the period when I stopped blogging, so seeing it again on DVD gives me the chance to tell you what I thought about it... Initially I was a bit overwhelmed by how bold the film-makers had been and couldn't stop comparing it to the 80s TV series - there was a lot I did like but overall felt a bit, I don't know, cheated by it. Second time around: it's a Sunday afternoon, everyone's relaxed, there are no expectations... and I bloody loved it! Thought it was great! Couldn't wait to actually buy a copy and watch it again, again! I think it was the casting that threw me the first time - Martin Freeman, OK, was brilliant in The Office, but a bit of a one trick pony; Mos Def? (who I've since seen more of in The Woodsman) what was he doing playing Ford Prefect? Zooey Deschannel, I'd vaguely heard of but had no great opinion for; in fact, the only one that seemed right was Sam Rockwell, as Zaphod, a part he was surely born to play. On seeing it all again I had no such concerns: Freeman was spot on, Mos Def was actually very funny and Zooey Deschannel is both beautiful and totally believable as the only girl in the Universe worth caring about... The whole thing is fun and you have to go with it, that's the point. John Malkovich and Bill Nighy give great supporting performances to flesh out a terrifically well produced whole that more than lives up to the spirit of the book, the radio play, the TV series and, above all, the intentions of Douglas Adams. I had a hardback anthology of Hitch Hikers that rarely left my side when I was a teenager, and although the book will always be the best medium for the story, this is now in my mind the definitive adaptation, and I never thought I'd say that a few months ago - I must have been in a rotten mood or something. 9/10 Kx

QI

2005-09-23T22:30:00.000+01:00

QI stands for Quite Interesting. It is one of those quiz shows that it doesn't really matter who wins as long as it is entertaining - and it is. It is also one of those shows that you never fully intend to watch - I mean you don't plan it or put everything else on hold to watch it, but whenever you turn the telly on there it is! It's hosted by the fount of all wisdom, wit and most things English, Stephen Fry, who asks a panel of 2 teams of two, including regular guest Alan Davies, bizarre questions about obscure things in the hope they can expound some intersting info on the subject, or at least something ludicrously funny or cras. In recent shows I've learnt that a kangaroo has 3 vaginas; the earth has 4 moons (but only one of them is big enough to see); and that the first Olympic games only had one event, which was won by a totally naked chef! Other guests such as the brilliantly droll Rich Hall and British stand up die-hards Jimmy Carr, Bill Bailey and Rob Brydon ensure it is never taken too seriously, but you can't help coming away from it a bit more educated and hoping that no one else watched it so you can show off how clever you are the next day... The format is one that has evolved from shows like Never Mind the Buzzcocks and They Think It's All Over, in that, as I say, it doesn't matter a hoot who wins as long as someone is made to look like an idiot and everyone has a laugh. The show has a great website too (click title above, as usual) with many a fact and more info about the show - which is destined to run for a good few years I think, well, it was even imitated on Richard and Judy the other day, so it's definitely made it... Kx

My Summer of Love

2005-09-22T23:30:00.000+01:00

Limited theatrical release didn't stop this BBC production becoming a reasonably sized hit in Europe last Autumn, culminating in a bunch of Independent Award nominations for all involved - including five nods at the increasingly high profile British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), for best film, best director (Pawel Pawlikowski), best actress (Natalie Press), best newcomer (Emily Blunt) and best supporting actor (Paddy Considine). Pawlikowski and Considine had worked together before on the 2000 film The Last Resort and both men have terrific influence on this wonderful little film, but it is to the two young leads that the praise must go - for relative newcomers they are both electric on screen - and together fuse with tangible chemistry to create a sensual whole that drives the narrative into something very special. Pawlikowski has an eye for simplicity and almost ethereal beauty, making the film reminiscent of The Virgin Suicides, Morvern Callar or even Picnic At Hanging Rock - and it certainly stands up in such brilliant company. He is ultimately a realist in style, so it is interesting that this deals with the ideas of fantasy, romantiscism and escapism. At just over 80 minutes long it never has a chance to become tedious and this is another skill lesser directors should take note of; an atmosphere evocative of Summer days that last forever, daydreams and first love ooze out of the screen and sit happily side by side with the harsher realities of Mona's life, and almost before you know it you are watching the credits roll feeling quite different than you did an hour and a half ago... One of the best DVDs I've seen this year! 9/10 Kx

Radio Days

2005-09-20T12:30:00.000+01:00

Radio: Broadband internet and DAB digital has led to a revival of the medium in a lot of people's lives. The working person has always relied on it to relieve the boredom of days, as has the long distance driver - but now it belongs to everyone again, with a wider range of stations available than ever before. As I have found myself glued to my Xbox controller over the last few weeks I have often chosen to turn the sound down and put the radio on in the background. I have done some experimenting up and down "the dial", but mostly it has been about 2 stations - BBC's Five Live, for their excellent sports coverage and match commentaries; and Virgin FM, for some decent playlists and the musings of my old pal Vic Reeves as a newly christened DJ. Listening to Vic tonight was especially amusing as he hadn't heard of half of the bands being requested and kept going on about the best ever sandwich (his being beetroot and mayo!). I've also been trying to get my head around Podcasts on iTunes, a free subscription based service where anyone with an iPod can transmit their own station. Larger stations use the facility too, it seems, to broadcast shows and highlights of shows that folk might have missed and can pick up on the move... Or something - I don't have an iPod so just listened to a few really dodgy ones on my PC... Talk about a waste of time! But it could become huge when it becomes more user friendly and the quality shows are filtered out. All a long way from huddling around a big wooden box in the corner of the room waiting for the king's speech of a Christmas morning. Or maybe not so much... Kx

Tsotsi Preview

2005-09-19T13:30:00.000+01:00

Every now and again a film emerges that everyone agrees upon. Gigli was one example, but for all the wrong reasons - and UK / South African production Tsotsi (which roughly translates as "thug" or "gangster") seems to be another, for all the right ones! Last month it won both the audience and critics awards at the Edinburgh film festival (a very rare double), and last week walked off with the audience award at the Toronto film festival to boot! The latter is normally a good indication of intent for nominations in the Best Foreign Language category at the Oscars, and with The Sea Inside getting so much attention last year these "minority" films are no longer essentially small business. People are queuing more than ever before to see films about real lives, real places and real issues - and I for one will be looking forward to its return to Scottish Screens in the near future. The official website (click title above) has some great info on the production, including a ten minute making-of film that makes it pointless for me to summarize the plot here. Go and see for yourselves... Kx

Da Vinci Again

2005-09-18T12:05:00.000+01:00

The hype to next years biggest box office hit (nothing is so certain) is tangibly building all the time. The Da Vinci Code started filming in July in Paris, and as I was there and became convinced the road behind our hotel was being used as a repository for the productions many police cars (including Bezu Fache's Citroen), my interest was piqued anew. Rarely is a film shrouded in such secrecy, but with something this huge a closed set is essential. A trip to Paris also inspired me to pick up the book again, so that I could put real images to the many locations around the city of light. It did become more vivid, but the downside was that with all the secrets revealed after the first read it becomes clear that literarily speaking it is little more than pulp fiction - a page turner still, for sure, but no classic; how they all don't figure it out much sooner is the biggest mystery of all! Ron Howard, too, concerns me - will he over-egg the romantic symbolism that surrounds the sacred feminine and will the relationship between Tom Hank's Robert Langdon and Audrey Tautou's Sophie Neveu be presented in too sugary a way? Undoubtedly he will instill it with pace and excitement, but it is the general tone that bothers me, from a director far too keen on the sentimental side of life. Still around 9 months to find out. I'll have to fill the time with a few anagram puzzles or something. Kx

Friday Night with Ross

2005-09-17T23:00:00.000+01:00

Back for a ninth series - funnier and more entertaining than Parkinson and more intelligent than the rest - Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, the only "chat show" worth watching... His guest lists are always impressive, this 2nd show including Gerrard Depardieu, Kanye West, Franz Ferdinand and the charming Alan Whicker, legend of British broadcasting. The Frenchman in particular was priceless, not understanding at least half of Ross' quickfire quips, sparking up an illicit fag halfway through, only to stub it out on the carpet when prompted to put it out, and explaining the best way to cook a hedgehog (you have to put a bicycle pump up its arse apparently)! The format is as fresh as it was in series one - Edinburgh Festival visitors Four Poofs and a Piano still provide camp musical links for each guest, much to the bemusement of many overseas visitors, Ross still interjects a bit of scripted comedy and observation between each main course, and the night always ends with a live performance to rival any you'll see. But it is the interviews that really matter - often incisive, sometimes embarrassing and confrontational, but more often good natured irresistibly funny. I can think of no one better at revealing the true character of their guests than JR and I look forward to the rest of the series enormously. Top Telly. Kx

Forza Motorsport

2005-09-15T22:30:00.000+01:00

Halo 2 was my first completed game on Xbox, and I still can't believe it ended on a cliffhanger...! Next up was Forza Motorsport, which competes with the plethora of other racing games on the selling point of being able to "pimp" any one of over 200 production cars to almost any specs you can think of - tweak the engine, stick a massive spoiler on it, some top of the range tyres, some gold wheel trims and finish it all off with a really gaudy paint-job. This is real testosterone territory, and I love it! Not only do you get the fun of complete makeovers on some serious machinery, but you get to race them too - cars are rated in six classes with over 100 different races to choose from, ranging from amateur to professional to controller wrenching endurance races. Take a Ferrari Enzo around the mammoth 20km long Nurburgring at 200mph and you'll be hooked! As I have been... Over 90 hours of racing logged since I began (that's almost 4 whole days in a little over a month, gulp), over 8000 miles of track covered and over 10 million credits won. I have been into racing games since the golden days of Outrun in the 80s and this is definitely the best simulation I've ever played... Ironic really, since I've never so much as backed out of a driveway in a real car. It seems I must satisfy my need for speed in a virtual world where it's all much safer, most of the time. There is an Xbox live option on this too, which I explored briefly at the beginning, before realising the community was populated by fanatical Americans who took their racing really seriously, thus destroying the fun for the casual player. I may revisit just to teach them a trick or two now I'm more experienced behind the wheel, but something tells me it's time to move on to new pastures and get into something that requires a few more brain cells. Forza: Fun around every corner - 10/10 Kx

Werner & Klaus

2005-09-14T11:00:00.000+01:00

This week saw BBC4 (Auntie's arts channel) deliver a brief but very welcome season focusing on the work of German director Werner Herzog. First up was one of my favourite European films of all time: the inimitable Aguirre, Wrath of God, with Klaus Kinski in the role of the solipsistic nobleman in search of El Dorado at any cost. Herzog and Kinski were both mad as fish by all accounts, threatening to kill each other on a regular basis and often storming off the set at any given moment not to return for days, sometimes weeks. But they always did return (until irreconcilable differences were reached towards the end of production on Cobra Verde in 1987) and thank Gott for us, because we have been left with a series of some of the most original, daring and stunning films ever made. Both men were blessed with genius, there can be no doubt - but it is Kinski who took himself more seriously, often stating he was the second coming of Christ, his ego was so big! Perfect then for roles such as Aguirre and, perhaps more famously, Fitzcarraldo, the musician who ordered an entire steamboat to be lifted over an Amazonian waterfall (a feat which Herzog insisted was replicated on the shoot!!!). Then you have Nosferatu, of course, the late 70s remake of the spine-tingling horror classic, and several others of note. They made six films together in all (a miracle, if ever there was one), five of which are available in a collective box-set, together with a documentary by WH called My Best Friend, made after the death of Kinski in 1999 - must have stuff and the top of my wish list. I was happy to be reminded by the BBC that my suspicions that Herzog was also dead were very wrong, as they also aired two recent documentaries The White Diamond (2004) and The Wild Blue Yonder (2005). In fact he's still a young man at 62! Just shows how potent he was in his prime to have had such a career so young. Must find a biography of him some time. Kx

Champions League

2005-09-13T15:30:00.000+01:00

It's Back! The one thing that keeps me going through many an Autumn and Winter's evening - Champion's League Football... Last year Chelsea and Liverpool met in the Semi final, of course, with Liverpool going on to be champions after one of the greatest games in the modern era in the final. And guess what? They've been drawn in the same group this year! Both will probably go through to the next stage but before then we can look forward to two thrilling if very tactical affairs between the two teams. Mourinho will be playing cat and mouse, as always, and Benitez will play it cool. Top drama... But there are Man Utd and Arsenal in there too - Man Utd look strong in the early part of the season, with the London team perhaps less potent than in recent years (although they have never done well in this competition). Last year all four English teams reached the last 8 and that could very well happen again, with Real Madrid's golden age seemingly coming to an end and only a handful of European teams that could really teach the English clubs a lesson at their full strength. AC Milan, Barcelona, Juventus and dark horse Lyon may be on that list, but there are many weeks of fun and tactics to unfold before we know the elite of the elite. Bookmakers make Chelsea a skinny 5/1 favourite to lift the trophy in 2006, but as long as it stays on this island I don't really care who does it. Kx

The Ashes

2005-09-12T23:30:00.000+01:00

Cricket? Normally couldn't give a full toss - it's slow, it takes days, literally, and may well end in a draw! The Ashes, however, is a tradition that goes back to 1882 when Australia overcame tremendous odds to beat the much more professional English (who after all invented the ruddy game), prompting The Times to declare cricket dead, saying the body would be cremated and the "ashes" sent down under - so if you absolutely have to watch it then this quaint and fiercely contested event is the one. It only happens once every four years and this time battle would commence on English soil - 8 weeks, 5 tests, 5 days each, five different venues. Now I have to admit that for the first few tests I only kept half of one eye on it, but by the end of the tenth day of play it was obvious it was going to get interesting, and pundits and aficionados everywhere started saying it was the best series ever! That was largely down to two men, the charismatic and relative new boy for England, Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff, who was taking wickets left right and centre and not doing too badly with a bat either; and the old warhorse, Shane Warne, one of the greatest bowlers of all time and a constant thorn in England's side. Things were all square after 3 tests, but England had missed out on the lead by only 2 runs and momentum was definitely swinging in the Pommie's favour. The fourth, sure enough, went to England, leaving them needing only a draw to retain The Ashes for the first time in 16 years... London's Oval was to be the final ground, and rain (as it does in Britain) played a big part in delaying an Aussie comeback. By the final morning England only had to bat out the day to lift the tiniest trophy in sport - but Warne had a lot to say about it, taking 4 more wickets (he finished with 40 for the entire series!!) before lunch, leaving England nerve's jangling. A few sarnies and a cuppa later, though, and South African born, adopted Englishman Kevin Pietersen started whacking some sixes and by tea it was more or less over - he finished up on 158 to be England's top batsman for the series and the hero of the day. But it was a team victory ultimately, over 25 days of effort and much doubt. Hurray! As a sidenote, Richie Bennaud, the Australian who has been the voice of cricket commentary since I was born, retired today to standing ovations all round - a sad goodbye, but a fitting event to go out on. Now, every Englishman is going mad in celebration: on the TV, radio and anywhere else they can be heard. In a year without a football or rugby world cup, or an Olympics, this is being called the great sporting event of the Summer and it certainly is a good excuse to shout. Also kind of sweet that (on a global scale) such a minority sport can create such a fuss. I wish in a way I could get more excited about it - but my thoughts are already turning to the Champions League, kicking off tomorrow night. It's all a load of balls really! Kx

Hotel Rwanda

2005-09-11T22:30:00.000+01:00

Following Crash and the terrific impression left on me by Don Cheadle, thought it was about time to check out his Oscar nominated performance in "true story" Hotel Rwanda. Genocide has to be one of the ugliest words and ideas in existence, and as with all works of art that have dealt with the holocaust it is incredibly important that events are recorded accurately and that the world is urged to learn from its history. There was no doubt that this movie, being based on the real events of 1994 in Rwanda, was going to be unbearably sad - but would it be any good? Well, not really, unfortunately. Writer and director of Some Mother's Son, Terry George delivers an episodic script, that also jars in its editing, making it very staccato in mood and difficult to connect with - he seems to have made, not necessarily bad choices, just unimaginative ones. In an attempt to capture all the events we lose something of the drama inherent. Neither over-sentimental nor melodramatic, nevertheless, the absence of filmic savvy makes each subsequent scene blend into mediocrity and tempts the audience not to care, despite the subject. Compare it to something like The Killing Fields and you will see what I mean. Mr Cheadle does hold it together, however, with a fine portrayal of the hotel manager torn between his roles as husband and father and his responsibility as leader of the last refuge on earth for the "cockroaches" targeted for extermination by the Hutus. The thought that occurs, which is highlighted well, is how this could have been allowed to happen and allowed to continue for so long by the rest of the world! Just a shame that apart from DC many roles are miscast, including UN General Nick Nolte, who seems out of place in every scene, and Belgian hotel entrepreneur Jean Reno, who looks equally uncomfortable. Worthy of a mention, though, is Joaquin Phoenix as an American journalist: he was as different and as watchable as ever in a small, but important role - but he was gone after half an hour and much missed. A bit of a let down in all and deserving only of an average 6/10, I'm afraid. Kx

Friday Night Lights

2005-09-09T23:45:00.000+01:00

Any great sports movie needs just a few simple ingredients: exciting action scenes that actually resemble the sport being played, strong characters with points to prove, an underdog with a mountain to climb, and, perhaps most importantly, those magic words "Based on a true story". There is enough drama in real sport to render fictitious scripts in the genre redundant, and this movie digs up a wonderful story from the archives of pre-college American football in the 1980's Texas town Odessa. Billy Bob Thornton is the only real name on the list, and he does his job well enough as the under-pressure coach, including the ubiquitous half time speech in the final game - but it is the supporting ensemble of young actors under the helmets and under the expectations of the whole town that really shine. Included in the line-up is one Lucas Black, who appeared in Thornton's labour of love, the brilliant Slingblade, almost a decade ago, and now seems ready to break through into the A-league judging on this subtle and convincing portrayal of troubled quarterback Mike Witchell. You may remember him best as the freaky kid from cult TV show American Gothic - but he is 23 now, and with credits such as Cold Mountain, Friday Night Lights and the upcoming Jarhead under his belt, I'm going to tip him right now as one of the next big things. He steals the film, and quite rightly the plot focuses our affections on him in the "will they, won't they?" climax and beyond. I liked this a lot, and believe that even those who loathe sports films will be sucked in to the human story running through its heart. In slight criticism, the MTV style editing in the action sequences was a little overplayed - but otherwise, for what it is, it works on every level and comes highly recommended as a good popcorn fix. 8.5/10 Kx

Crash

2005-09-08T23:30:00.000+01:00

Paul Haggis, the writer of Million Dollar Baby, attempts one of the most ambitious directorial debuts in recent memory with the critically acclaimed Crash. I had thought it only looked OK from the trailer, but I thought that about 21 Grams (to which this is not entirely dissimilar) and that turned out to be one of the best films of 2004! The weight of recommendations had become too much, and so I went along this morning to see what all the fuss is about. One thing is certain - it is one hell of a movie... but it will cause differences of opinion. In scope and style it seems to owe a lot to both Magnolia and Traffic - the former for its fascination with co-incidence and the holistic effect of human action and interaction, and the latter for its boldness in tackling a potentially incendiary subject with the aid of an ensemble cast and grainy film-stock. As a fan of both films I was always going to like this, although there are problems: the situations and dialogue are at times stretched beyond the reasonable limits of believability, and, considering the incredibly difficult task of marrying so many different threads into a coherent whole, it is oddly paced and edited in snatches. However, for a first time director it is an awesome achievement - the cast are very strong, notably the ever reliable Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, in a perfectly cast role, Sandra Bullock (although it is little more than a cameo) and Ryan Phillippe, as Dillon's conflicted partner; the mood is sustained with nail-biting tension, culminating in two or three unforgettable moments as the characters "crash" together in different, but always life-changing ways; and, above all, there is a soul underneath it that propels the whole into the near-reaches of an absolute classic. Racism is a difficult subject - there are many arguments and not too many solutions, but here almost all of the key issues are dealt with, leaving you with questions, realizations and revelations aplenty without ever being trite or trying to be definitive - so much so that I feel like I need to see it again immediately! And it would be a pleasure: its ultimate success is not that it is a great piece of art or a great political statement, but that it is a great, watchable, movie with an indispensable human message. If this isn't at least nominated for a whole bunch of Oscars then I'll eat my shoes!! If you haven't already done so - See It... 9/10 Kx

Mercury Prize 2005

2005-09-06T23:30:00.000+01:00

The Mercury Music Prize (properly know this year as The Nationwide Mercury Prize) is one of the more worthwhile awards events, as it doesn't pander to popularity alone, giving real artists of any level and any genre the recognition they deserve. Of the twelve shortlisted albums that Mercury celebrated this year - as the event acknowledges studio albums, not artists or individual songs - there were some familiar faces from the current indie rock/pop crowd: Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Maximo Park and the highest of high profiles in Coldplay (who didn't actually appear, no, no, far too big for that!), but there was a majority of lesser known talents, including new jazz band Polar Bears and indie/folk fiddler Seth Lakeman from Dartmoor. In the middle ground there was my tip for greatness early in the year, Miss K. T. Tunstall from Fife, whose reproduction of the Later With Jools Holland performance of her single Black Horse and the Cherry Tree is still one of the most electric things I've seen for years. But the whole show bristled with raw energy and stupid amounts of talent - every single act was great live, endorsing their worthiness even more. And nothing could be truer when talking about the "winner", the weird and perhaps wonderful Antony and the Johnsons - you could hear a pin drop in the auditorium as Antony himself played the piano and warbled his way through a soulful ballad in his own radically unique style. I have to admit he is relatively new to me, but once you hear him you can't forget it - it is a haunting style that jars an ear tuned to mundanity at first, but then beguiles it in a frighteningly resonant way. And that is why he got a standing ovation from the knowing crowd, and that is why he walked off with the gong, so that our awareness of this exceptionally individual talent is heightened as it should be, love it or hate it. I'm undecided but I will certainly give the album - Now I Am A Bird a very serious listen. Kx

The Red Lion Roars

2005-09-06T23:00:00.000+01:00

As of today all previous Boro match reports from last season have been deleted to keep in line with everything The Wasteland should represent - they were just too boring for general viewing on a Pop-Culture level, and so are no more... That is not to say that more general sport items won't appear here, because they will, it is just that my fanaticism for my team deserves a blog of its own. And so for anyone who needs an MFC fix just click on the title link and away you go. Kx

The Ultimate Film

2005-09-05T12:30:00.000+01:00

There has been a definite bias toward film in The Wasteland since its resurrection last month. Fitting then that the first bit of sustained telly I've managed to sit down and watch, since practically the start of Summer, is a programme about film. Channel 4's misleadingly titled The Ultimate Film showed in two 3 hour installments, further satisfying our modern-day addiction to statistics and lists of all kinds. There is some fatigue with this kind of thing now; there has been so many of them, and most of them are useless as documents as they are voted upon by so-called experts, who naturally harbour their own prejudices and favourites. This list differed in that it claimed to be based on actual bums-on-seats figures since the recorded beginning of cinema in the UK. A very, very different thing to box-office takings in hard currency, whether adjusted for inflation or not. We British are notoriously eccentric, and the films we have flocked to see more than others over the decades reflects that quite plainly - For a start about 50% of the list is comprised of British films, with films like The Full Monty statistically outranking all of the Star Wars films barring the original! 50% are also from 1965 or earlier, with a glut of films the majority of people under 40 haven't even heard of populating not only the lower reaches of the list but the top twenty as well! Historically it is easy to see how post WWII escapism was in high demand, and it is easy to imagine the appeal of the movies as a main source of entertainment before television was a regular accessory in every home. Britain's hottest stars ever? Think of ten names and you still won't get it... Dame Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding have a handful of films in the list, the highest being 1948's Spring in Park Lane at #5, which attracted 20.5 million people (half the population of the entire nation at the time)!!! It truly was a different age. Of the modern era, Titanic is the only film post 1980 to make the top ten! These and many more surprises await - take a look at the full list on channel 4's website by clicking the title above. Of the overall winner... Well, no prizes for guessing. Even my mum saw Gone With the Wind three times, and that is saying a lot. Personally I think it is boring and, frankly, couldn't give a damn about it, but you can't argue with the figures: an estimated 35 million tickets sold in the UK alone. That's not just amazing, that's staggering... Long live the movies! Kx

Madagascar

2005-09-03T15:45:00.000+01:00

September brings about a main event in my life: my daughter's birthday. And that always means a movie... There was no way on Earth I was going to see Herbie, but even that was preferable to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl - so we saved up the only realistic choice, Madagascar, for a couple of weeks just for this occasion. I'm lucky enough, having a kid, that I can more or less see kid's movies on their level and therefore judge them on their merits. It doesn't make sense to compare these kind of things outside of their genre, and so, this being from the makers of Shrek and Shark Tale, I have to compare it to those. Now, I did write a hugely compelling commentary on the role of animation in pop-culture today, but my PC has crashed twice since then, so it's probably trying to tell me to stop being so pretentious about it and get to the point of whether it's any good or not... Well, it's better than Shark Tale and not as good as Shrek, or anything Pixar have done, for that matter. Not all that surprising - but it is a decent enough way to spend ninety minutes: there are plenty of laughs, especially from the Sasha Baron-Cohen (Ali G) voiced King of the Lemurs! He had me wetting myself, as did the penguins and the poo throwing monkeys (who weren't in it enough). Unfortunate then that the four main characters, though amiable enough, couldn't live up to the supporting cast. Ben Stiller as vain lion turned potential savage, Alex, is OK but lacks the vocal versatility to stand out, as do Jada Pinkett-Smith and David Schwimmer to some extent. Only Chris Rock (who annoys the hell out of me as a real "actor") cuts the dijon as the energetic zebra, and on the whole that's not enough. Take the kids or wait for the DVD - but not enough there to count it as a classic. 7/10 Kx

Diamond Dogs

2005-09-01T19:30:00.000+01:00

Donnie Darko was 2nd and last year's surprise hit Sideways made the top ten, but Quentin Tarantino's 1992 crime caper, the seminal Reservoir Dogs, has been deemed The greatest independent movie ever! The list, comprised by Empire Online, remembers and applauds the 50 best films that blinkered studio execs wouldn't touch with a bargepole, and, without the gods of fate smiling down on them, might never have been made at all! These days serious cinephiles are more likely to look to the likes of Sundance and the Venice film festival for their kicks, thanks in large to the tenacity, vision and genius of the many film-makers involved in these and many more "independent" films. Interesting to note the trends that developed after a lot of these films became successes in the studio output that followed - most of these great films have been copied but, arguably, never bettered. As for Dogs, well, I haven't seen it for quite a few years, but there is no denying its impact on 90s pop culture: so many memorable scenes, moments, lines of dialogue, the music, even the costumes are indisposable! Undeniably it is a five star film any day of the week and has reminded me that there is a Mr Pink size hole in my DVD collection where it should have been for years. I'm off to amend that right now. Take a look at the rest of the 50 by clicking the title above. Kx

Ray

2005-08-31T23:15:00.000+01:00

As I've said before, it is much easier to win an Oscar than it used to be, and so when this high profile biopic started to get average reviews outside of the lead performance I let it go at the cinema and consigned it to the DVD list. I think I was right to do so as, at its worst, this is little better in style and originality than a TV movie, and only the recreations of the insatiable music stand out. Interpreting a person's life in an interesting way has caused better directors than Taylor Hackford to fail before now, however - it is just a difficult genre. The most annoying thing in this example is how we spend two hours and twenty minutes following the man's amazing life from infancy to his early forties and then are given a two minute montage to sum up the remaining forty years! What is all that about? A lot of the problems structurally come down to editing, and you can't help wonder if the director's cut solves this issue - but at this point I can't be bothered to find out. That aside, the central performance from Jamie Foxx is exceptional and worthy of high praise - superficially he could be accused of doing little more than a good impression of Ray Charles Robinson, but that would be unfair; at no point does he descend into caricature, and although there are not too many actual dramatic scenes, when they do come he is more than up to the task, allowing you to sympathize with the character whilst being painfully aware of his faults. Once again (as with The Machinist) here is an actor and a performance worthy of a better film that doesn't materialize. But I sense this is just the beginning for the outrageously talented Mr Foxx. 6/10 Kx

Supergrass

2005-08-30T22:30:00.000+01:00

Supergrass are a band that have always interested me. In Gaz Coombes they have a lead man who always seems to be on the edge of greatness but never quite reaches the consistency to get there. First and foremost, the Oxford trio are great musicians and can play around with styles and tone effortlessly - there is always a sense of dirty funk in there somewhere, mixed with a set of seriously good pop songs, as 1993's Supergrass are 10 showcases brilliantly. For me they are the band that The Stereophonics never were - and that is down to their secret weapon: a wicked sense of humour! Just skip to track 5 here if you need convincing - Coffee in the Pot epitomises the daft, yet ever intelligent feel that almost won them a Monkees style TV show a few years back, until the execs decided the world needed S-Club 7 more! There is a lot on this latest album to like, admire and, in a while, perhaps even love - 1st single and stand-out track St. Petersberg is as good as anything on their last two albums, falling only slightly short of the best tracks on their most accomplished (in my opinion) album, In It For The Money, from 1997. Labelled 70s Rock Revivalists by many, Supergrass are so much more than that and I look forward to letting the less immediate tracks wash over me, and hopefully to seeing them gain new fans on the back of this sophisticated new release. I used to think of them as a very studenty band - now they seem like a band for students who have grown up a bit, and, although quite a few will, I don't see anything wrong with that. 8.5/10 Kx

The Machinist

2005-08-28T23:15:00.000+01:00

In his most high-profile feature to date, founder of Nomad films and relatively inexperienced helmsman, Brad Anderson, tries to deliver something with the spine-tingle of a Hitchcock and the savvy of a Fight Club or a Memento - and fails admirably on both counts. The problem is that he underestimates his audience, signposting plot devices too blatently and embelishing scenes that would have been better served with stillness and eerie silence with melodramatic music and flashback imagery. You can see what he aspires to, and there are promising moments in the washed out cinematography and use of character, but ultimately you are left feeling (and it's a familiar feeling) that this could have been so much better in the right hands. What is notable, of course, is Christian Bale, and the fact that he lost X amount of weight to do the role. Man, he wasn't messing around! More bone than flesh, and reminiscent of a prisoner of war, he creates a striking, haunting, disturbing image that stays with you long after the DVD has been returned. And it's not just his physical aspect that is startling - it's a terrific performance of a man lost in paranoia, guilt and sleeplessness: every time his eyelids droop, we find ourselves begging the Gods of cinema to let the poor fucker nod off for a bit. But no. Just a shame then that with this much (some would say psychotic) committment he didn't get a better film to surround him. It was nice to see Jennifer Jason Leigh again (she doesn't make enough films), and she was fine, but the supporting cast never seemed more than extras in a horror film (the appearence of Michael Ironside, for one, is never a good sign). I just felt that every time it got interesting and approached new territory it shied away just as quickly and subsided into the mediocre, badly scripted, or just plain daft. Worthy of a remake, but God, please don't make Batman go on that diet again!!! 6/10 Kx

Fantasy Football

2005-08-27T20:30:00.000+01:00

Another great way to to keep yourself busy with something relatively meaningless is to play in a fantasy sports league. This year has been more organised than others and we managed to put together a small "friends and enemies" league on the original Fantasy Football site - Fantasy League Classic (click title to have a look). The idea is to spend an imaginary budget on a squad of 16 players you believe will out-score, out-defend and basically outclass all opposition in the premiership. With weekly, monthly and season long prizes at stake it is worth paying attention and doing your homework on who is and who isn't in form. For the long run I've taken a few chances on some unproven players: Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas is my big tip to come of age in the midfield area, while £7.5m signing for Boro, Aiyegbeni Yakuba (pictured) carries the responsibility of lead striker. It has always been my philosophy (as you can only have a maximum of 2 players from each team) to use your choices from the top teams in defence, as they are likely to concede less goals - i.e. Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool all figure in a formaton that has done OK at this early stage. It seems that there are about 35000 paid up players this year so it will be tough to compete - but there is nothing a football fan likes more than being right, and this is the perfect chance to prove it. Another reason that Saturday is the most fun day of the week... Come on the lads... Kx

The Life Aquatic

2005-08-25T22:30:00.000+01:00

What do a three legged dog, a Portugese Bowie fan and Willem Dafoe with a German accent have in common? Welcome to the world of Wes Anderson - the modern day epitome of that fine line between a genius and a lunatic. If Bill Murray in a red bobble hat and flippers doesn't immediately make you chuckle then the weird and wonderful tale of over-the-hill oceanographer / adventurer Steve Zissou is not for you. If, however, Anderson's previous works: Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenembaums filled you with wonder and a rediscovered sense of values long lost, then, despite its wayward script you will love this. I am a big fan of Anderson's best traits - his minute attention to detail, that leave his films almost overwhelmingly produced; his impecable taste and sense of film music (including his collaboration with composer Mark Mothersbaugh, again on top form here); his sense of juvenile fun, and the range of interesting characters he creates to inhabit his off-centre worlds; and the use of some of the best actors around to bring it all to life! Murray and Defoe I've mentioned - and both are excellent, especially the latter, who sends himself up in the most beautifully subtle way - but there is also Anderson ever present Owen Wilson, the amazingly diverse Cate Blanchett, the underused Noah Taylor, Jeff Goldblum, Anjelica Huston and, for good measure, a deliciously daffy cameo from Michael Gambon! How does he do it on an arthouse budget? The answer must simply be that Hollywood's best are falling over themselves to work with him - and why not? Even though I felt this was weaker than both Rushmore and the Tenenbaums, both in story and emotional impact, there are brief scenes and snatches of dialogue that just light you up! It's one of those things that you either get or you don't, and therefore I can completely forgive the many bad reviews it got on intial release - But trust me - on DVD this has enough energy and pure creativity per frame to keep it a cult classic for generations. A filmaker, not at the very top of his game, but certainly one in the highest echelon of "ones to watch". 7/10 Kx

Bright Eyes

2005-08-24T19:15:00.000+01:00

My first few days back in the multi-corporational arms of iTunes led me to Bright Eyes, whose double album release at new year was not available on Napster. Of the two, I left the reportedly more raucous Digital Ashes In a Digital Urn for later and went straight to the acclaimed and somewhat mellower I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning - which included the single First Day Of My Life, a huge hit in the states. For the uninitiated, Bright Eyes is more or less twenty-something Connor Oberst and his acoustic guitar. An acquired taste at first, his deliberate use of less than polished acoustics, childishly simplistic melodies and knowingly pretentious spoken sections can jar. But anyone who listened to his 2002 release Lifted... Or, The Story Is In The Soil should know that to stick with him for a bit is to experience something of rare spirit and grace, ultimately tinted with optimism and a soul beyond his years. And this album lives up to that promise brilliantly. Perhaps not as many moments of angst as the aforementioned work, it nevertheless has all the elements of a late night conversation with a drunken folk singer present and correct: disillusionment, loss, redemption and a whole lot of heart, to say the least. Closer, perhaps, to Nick Drake than Bob Dylan, his beguiling rhymes and distracted reason appeal on many levels and leave you wanting to take another listen, just to be sure you understood what he might be getting at. I'm not saying he's my favourite artist - even of his genre - but he is compelling and unique; with the ability, at his best, to cut you to the bone with honesty and beauty. And there aren't enough of those people in the world. This will be my main listen for a week, probably, and then I'll be ready for the flip side. Click on title for website with some great live photos and full lyrics listings. Good stuff. 8/10 Kx

The Woodsman

2005-08-22T20:00:00.000+01:00

Second in an ill-fitting double bill last night was Kevin Bacon in The Woodsman - equally brilliant as Garden State, but for Very different reasons. I talked about looking out for this one months ago when it was announced that he was going to do it, but it can't even have lasted a week at the box office and was very easy to miss. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out, then, that this sunk without a trace not because it is bad, but because of the subject matter - one of Hollywood's last taboos, child abuse. Based on the play of the same name and brought to the screen by rookie director Nicole Kassell as something of a passion project, long time husband and wife Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgewick adopt serious, understated and consistantly convincing personas as the former abuser trying to put his life back together amidst prejudice, hatred and fear and the women who is prepared to give him a chance. We are asked as an audience not to forgive or justify, but simply to understand and the compelling script allows us to do that, as does a central performance that is certain to gain momentum in after-the-event criticism once intial discomfort subsides. At times theatrical, using devices such as a new abuser that Bacon watches and ultimately confronts (when we finally see the centre of his frustration as he visualises beating himself up) and a cop of ambiguous morality (played with some panache by Mos Def, who although good, seemed to be playing in the wrong movie) which do detract from the realism Bacon and Sedgewick achieve so effortlessly in earlier scenes, nevertheless, this is powerful stuff worthy of intelligent debate and a success by its own standards. Also interesting to note how lesser performances fared much better at the years' numerous awards festivals - Bacon's bravery in confronting such a role should have been commended and acknowledged much more than the sole nod for best male lead from the Independent Spirit Awards. Sadly, this proves to me that it is still an industry much more full of "stars" with images to maintain and politics to protect than genuine artists with things to say. Despite all that, I highly recommend this film and hope that Bacon's career is full of these kind of choices. 8/10 Kx

Garden State

2005-08-21T23:30:00.000+01:00

There was nothing but good word of mouth for this quirky debut, both as writer and director for Scrubs star Zach Braff, upon it's cinema release. To get such a film made at all is an achievement, but to make it this good is a minor miracle. It is well observed and both witty and touching in equal measure, if sometimes a little sacharine on both ends; it is well cast - Braff also takes the lead and turns in an affable performance, Natalie Portman is just perfect as Sam, the compulsive liar with epilepsy and a bad record with pets, and Peter Sarsgaard (very under-rated) and Ian Holm provide ever interesting support; it has a soundtrack to compete with a Wes Anderson movie; and there's something about the whole that just works for me. On an originality level it may not win any prizes - it is as though Braff has taken all the things he loves about movies and made it into his own montage, but what is wrong with that when the result is so entertaining? For its many flaws you have to say that he is going to be a filmaker worth keeping an eye on. It's also nice to get back to this kind of thing after a Summer of blockbusters, superheroes and aliens. It's a film that takes you on a strange journey, like After Hours or Brazil and is never the same twice because neither are you - I wouldn't call it deep, exactly, but I still can't wait to see it again. (p.s. Click the title to check out Z.B.'s personal blog) 8.5/10 Kx

Ben Folds

2005-08-19T23:30:00.000+01:00

As of 1st September my affair with Napster will be temporarily over. We've had some good times, but I have to move on... Mostly because my current PC is a piece of shit and I need the money to upgrade it so it actually works when I want it to. Besides, I have been stuck listening to the same old albums for months, and only a long train journey on Friday snapped me out of it and into Ben Folds' 2005 offering. I've liked this guy for years, whether with the Five or on his own (more or less the same thing, anyway) - but I've always felt a slight frustration that he never quite seems to peak and get all his ideas into a fulfilling whole on his albums. Four or five good hummable tunes are going to be there everytime, he is a talented writer, but ten or eleven seems too far for him. Songs for Silverman, then, is no exception - the emotion is there, the piano rings out, the lyrics are as tragic and touching as ever, but after a couple of listens you have your favourites and the rest are discarded. A shame for him, because he can't be described exactly as a singles artist, either. Some time soon he will release a Best Of compilation and everyone will buy it, saying, oh my God, I never knew he had so many great tunes, but that doesn't help Songs for Silverman. There is a growing maturity present; a less frivolous air, whilst his trademark humour remains intact - his songs, as always, are little stories in themselves, mini journeys into lives and loves and mishaps and failings, and I love that. If intelligent melancholy melody were the currancy of the world Ben Folds would be a rich man. There's a time and a place where your mood can only be satisfied by him alone - and that's the best endorsement I think I can give him. Ben Folds: 9/10 Songs for Silverman: 7/10 Kx

Daniel Kitson

2005-08-18T00:15:00.000+01:00

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is well into it's second week and I've not done badly this year in getting to see stuff despite the prohibitive ticket prices, largely aimed at rich American tourists. The highlight for me so far was comedian, Perrier award winner and genius Daniel Kitson's non-stand up show at The Traverse Theatre. Titled "Stories For The Wobbly Hearted", the ever charming and instantly lovable ball of hair and specs that is the man sauntered in to a full house and sat in a big comfy chair centre stage, surrounded by old lamps and record players, with a carpet complete with worn out patch where his feet go beneath him and a full wall projection behind him! A good start right there... He then proceeded at his own pace to beguile his audience with six very different tales of loneliness, unrequited love, rejection and shyness, with the underlying message that these things alone are not necessarily as tragic as we think they are - sometimes they are beautiful! And his writting, sparkling with wit, originality, simplicity and, above all, humanity demonstates this in such a way that it leaves you uplifted and full of optimism: you have been treated to an hour with a person whose view of the world is better than yours, and all you can do is applaud and say, Thanks, Dan... Punctuated by mini-films shown on the back wall projection and music from Punch Drunk Love by Jon Brion (perfect choice) all in all this has to be one of my favourite live shows of the last five years. So, it cost £15 to get a ticket, or 25p a minute, if you like, but you certainly get what you pay for, if, like me, you are indeed one of the wobbly hearted. Check out his site and try to see one of his shows - this is a performer destined to become a legend in his own teabreak. Kx

The Island

2005-08-16T22:00:00.000+01:00

In a Summer of films I have largely enjoyed, namely Batman Begins, War of the Worlds and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, director of The Rock, Armaggedon and the risible Pearl Harbor, Michael Bay, delivers a high-gloss sci-fi tale that from the trailer promised much. Bay is good at what he does when allowed to do it freely, i.e. make things look pretty and then go boom! So from the start I never expected the subject of cloning to be dealt with with either sophistication or intelligence, and I'm glad, because with a plot this full of holes, expecting something cerebral would have resulted in big letdown. However, pretty it is, and with two highly charismatic leads in McGregor and Johannson, all you have to do is accept the cheese quotient and enjoy the ride. A dozen memorable moments and set pieces later and you still find yourself caring what happens (always a good sign...), despite plot twists being signposted a mile away and some dialogue that even Arnie would be ashamed of. As a popcorn muncher I can highly recommend this - it's cool, it's fast, the production design is great and you get your happy ending... and that's what Summer movies are for. 7/10 Kx

Halo 2

2005-08-15T17:00:00.000+01:00

The latest addition to my toolbox of gadgets designed to waste more time over the last two months has been an Xbox. I tried to hold out for as long as I could, realising the full implications and dangers of such a device, prefering to do my gaming on the PC since abandoning the original Playstation about 18 months ago, but the allure was too strong! Not only are the games way in advance of anything I've had on the PC or the Playstation, but the novelty appeal of Xbox live (putting on a headset and talking to someone in Brazil whilst kicking the shit out of their onscreen alter-ego) is irrisistable. I know I'm way behind the times - the new Xbox 360 is due out at Christmas - but to me this is new stuff, and I like it!!! My delay has also given me a chance to see which games have had the most longevity and make wise choices in the software market. Which leads me to Halo 2... Oh my God, what a game! Storyline, graphics, playability and addictiveness are all there in spades, and when your controller vibrates as some alien elite creeps up on you and tries to break your neck, believe me, it is time for new pants...! I am on the verge of devoting endless hours to this, I can tell - it is just so absorbing: the closet yet to a first hand experience in a movie that you are the star of that I've seen a console game acheive. What little sunlight still reaches Scotland this time of year will have to take a backseat; bring on the thumb-plasters! Kx

Athletics World Championships

2005-08-14T23:00:00.000+01:00

The final day of the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki ended in a few more smiles for the British team, who before Sunday hadn't won a single medal! The responsibilty fell to marathon runner Paula Radcliffe, who had already failed terribly in the 10,000m and still held memories of Athens and that iconic breakdown on the side of the road very fresh in the mind... We needn't have worried as a magnificent display of will gave her a full minute lead by the final 5km, which she maintained to the line to ensure the Union Jack would have at least one outing. The men's 4 x 100m team added a bronze later on, as did the women's 4 x 400m, but with so many disappointments surely questions have to be asked. It was Britain's worst ever World Championships since their inception - a timely wake up call for youngsters dreaming of making it to London in seven years time for the Olympics... The meeting as a whole has, though, been a great success: the Finns have done a magnificent job as hosts, and there were some spectacular perfomances - unprecedented doubles for both Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi and Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopa, who at only 20 years old could become one of the greatest female athletes of all time. Then there was Yelena Isinbayeva's dominance of the pole vault and a new world record; not to mention Carolina Cluft coming from behind to win yet another heptahalon; or Justin Gatlin with the big sprint double early on in the tournament. The medal table belonged, naturally, to the USA, with a tally of 14 Gold and 25 medals overall - look down a bit and you see Britain at number 16, between Estonia and Ecuador! Dame Kelly has retired and the greats of the past are, sadly, all in the commentary booth. Whatever needs doing needs doing fast - or, ahem, we will be left in the starting blocks come 2012... Kx

Booker Prize 2005

2005-08-14T03:00:00.000+01:00

The 2005 Man Booker prize announced it's longlist earlier in the week - a 17 strong list, including some of the best authors around today. I can't pretend to have heard of half of them, but perrenial favourites Kazuo Ishiguro and Salmon Rushdie are both there with new books, as are Ian McEwan, Zadie Smith and J. M. Coetzee, who can all bash out a good yarn. On previous forrays into Waterstones a sticker indicating a Booker shortlist place is a fair indication of quality, as recent winners, Life of Pi, Vernon God Little and last year's victor, Alan Hollinghurst's The Line of Beauty (above) can prove. My book reading has taken a knock in this technological age, what with MP3 players and Xboxs in the ascendance, so I shall be looking in with interest when the shortlist is announced in September, with a view to cramming a bit of literary culture in before the winner is revealed in October. Having said that, I do fancy a few biographies for my bedside table - and having said that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas might get in the way of both. What are we coming to!? To view the full list of contenders click the title above and follow the links there. Kx

Match Of The Day

2005-08-14T02:00:00.000+01:00

Gary Lineker returns in the chair for a new season and a bit of a facelift again for Britain's favourite football show. So, yeah, I promise less football with one hand and then deliver my first proper new post on that very subject. Well, no apologies really, as there are few days in a sport-lover's calandar more exciting than the first day of a new season. Man Utd and Wayne Rooney stole the headlines, perhaps, beating Champion's League hopefuls Everton 2-0, but there was lots more to cheer: with promotion play-off winners West Ham getting off to a superb start, coming from behind to beat Blackburn 3-1 and Spurs also getting off to an excellent start with a 2-0 away win over Portsmouth. As for my beloved Boro, they played host to the recently crowned champions of Europe and the ever intimidating Steven Gerrard as they struggled to a 0-0 draw - Ugo Egiogu was sent off with 20 minutes to go and it was backs to the wall after that, so a decent point, all things considered... as for the highlights show in question - well, it beats forking out for Sky plus, and despite the irritating banter between regulars Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrensen, is still miles ahead of anything ITV or, ahem, channel Five can offer. The furniture might be new, but the format is more or less the same and that's how we like it; Motty is still there in snow, rain or shine and that's good enough for me. Just hope I can win some tickets in the goal of the month competitions this year - it's been ages since I managed a live match anywhere - tut, call yourself a fan! Come on Boro. Kx

Wasteland... The Comeback!

2005-08-14T00:30:00.000+01:00

Bless me, Elvis, it has been eleven weeks since my last blog entry... Hey, hey, I'm back! It may not be 1968 alas, nor am I The King, but this surely marks the biggest comeback since that famous time in Memphis. Last time you heard from me was shortly after the UK elections in May and shortly before the dramatic climax of the 2004/05 premiership season and Boro's highest ever finish to gain automatic inclusion in the Uefa cup (hurray!!!) - my excuse is that I had a real job (well, some acting) to get on with for a bit, but now I'm back in the dole queue and with today being the first day of a brand new premiership season I thought it was the perfect opportunity to re-ignite The Wasteland to once again comment on the best pop culture has to offer, as the nights draw in and we head towards another long Winter. I've thought long and hard... well, for a reasonable amount of time, somewhere between mild enthusiasm and total apathy... about a few changes: Firstly, I think it best, looking back over old entries, to restrict my passionate commentaries on the fortunes of MFC to moments of exceptional achievement or failure, and not to include an entry for them for each game - I may, however, comment more on the state of the premiership season generally if it seems approprite. Secondly, I may toy with the idea of devoting certain days of the week to certain topics - Monday is movie day, Friday is for music, Sunday is for sport, etc. As always, comments are very welcome, as are any suggestions for improvements and / or requests on stuff to take a look at. So, let's get back to it and see where it all leads... Kx

UK elections

2005-05-06T17:30:00.000+01:00

So after weeks of bickering and bantering, after all has been spun and re-spun, the three leaders of the three main parties squared up to a long night of slow results. 95% of what happens and who wins which seat is, of course, more or less decided way in advance and there could have been little doubt in anyone other than the staunchest conservatives' mind that Tony Blair would get a bit of a scare but nevertheless remain in power for an "historical" third term. BBCs coverage of such important events has become legendary since the Thatcher years - Dimbleby, Paxman and the wonderfully excitable John Snow make an irresistable team if you absolutely have to follow what is happening: the suave, the cynical and the downright potty! The swingometer was in full flow, fluctuating mind-bogglingly between red, blue and yellow, and this year it was joined by an array of CG visual aids ranging from the ingenious to the ridiculous image of three virtual leaders strutting down a virtual Downing St. in an attempt to illustrate how well they were doing in relation to expectation and the burden of history. By 4:30am Labour had reached the magic total of 324 and counting, with an expected majority of around 66 by next evening (a drop of over 100 seats since 2001!), Blair looked pleased again instead of worried (although it remains to be seen whether he will remain leader for very long) and everyone else looked knackered and not a little bored. Perhaps the most significant moment of the night was the election of George Kennedy to the Tower Hamlet seat in London, displacing labour's Oona King, the first ever black female MP. He wasn't a Conservative, he wasn't a LibDem, he wasn't even a Green or BNP - he represented the Respect party, founded by himself, as a full on protest to Blair and the war on Iraq; in an already tense racial environment he went door to door stirring up anti female and anti Blair furore and won, by about 400 votes! A big statement, but where will it leave the people of that particular borough after the heat dies down? Ah, politics... I'd rather have a sausage sandwich... Kx

Shaun Murphy

2005-05-03T09:30:00.000+01:00

The Embassy World Snooker Championships at Sheffield's Crucible theatre have been a part of my TV life since I was old enough to wield a cue. Alex Higgins, Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor and 18 million viewers after midnight in 1985, Steven Hendry's magnificent 7 in the 90s and the rise of Ronnie - all vivid memories for me! Maybe it's because the whole thing lasts almost three weeks and takes a certain amount of patience to stay with that makes it so special; you feel as if you've been through the pressure, the disappointment and the triumph with them by the end of it. Not to mention that it always throws up a decent amount of drama and the odd fairy tale success too. Before the tournament it would have taken a fool or a brave man to bet against the reigning champ, O'Sullivan, he looked invincible, and even after an early scare his game looked smooth and solid as ever through to the quarter-finals. But then a controversial match with Peter Ebdon, whose slow style and possible gamesmanship broke Ronnie down, and it was anyone's - Ronnie declared he was taking a year off, and looking at the drawsheet from the other games all the top seeds had fallen in earlier rounds. By the time the semi-finals broke off only Matthew Stephens held a top 10 world ranking, but even then you weren't sure he would win it with the other 3 all giant killing underdogs. Stephens made the final, as he did in 2002, but it was 150/1 qualifier Shaun Murphy who stood in his way: a local lad of 22 that I hadn't even heard a whisper of before he beat John Higgins in the second round. A classic match ensued with never more than 4 frames between them in the marathon 4 session best of 35. The temperament of both players was great and no one was wishing that higher profile players had made it to the final, for here were worthy contenders. After 14 hours of play over 2 days it was Murphy who's mettle stood the test, as he emerged the victor 18-16 to be crowned the final Embassy World Champion! From obscurity to legend within the game in a matter of two weeks, and a check for £250,000 to put an extra shine on the trophy! Couldn't have happened to a nicer lad, by the looks of it. Top Telly! Kx

Anchorman

2005-04-29T22:15:00.000+01:00

Certain staff at Emipre magazine had been touting this as the best comedy for a decade on its release! I had seen the talented Will Ferrell in Elf two Christmases ago and found myself enjoying his performance if not the script so much, but other than that I hadn't thought too much about him. Well, there is no doubt anymore: the new King of Comedy is right here! Anchorman (subtitled The Legend Of Ron Burgundy) is - if you like your comedy silly - the most laughs per minute I've had in a long time. At one point I had to pause it to give my kidneys the chance to recover after my convulsions! Not only the man himself, but the supporting cast of characters too are so richly drawn and so preposterously strange that whip them all together with some great one-liners and some hilarious sight-gags and you have a movie even funnier than Dodgeball - and two months ago I wouldn't have thought that possible within the same year. Speaking of Ben Stiller, he pops up in another unforgettable cameo in the same scene as Tim Robbins and Luke Wilson to add even more juice to the coctail. I'm almost scared to watch it again so soon, as I may do myself some permanant damage! Several scences, especially those in the first half of the movie will surely go down in comedy history - not least of all the side-splitting "jazz flute" section (pictured). Ron Burgundy could easily return in more adventures, Austin Powers style, but whatever Ferrell does I will be first in the queue - he has a new biggest fan. 10/10 (for its genre) Kx

Hank Azaria

2005-04-28T14:30:00.000+01:00

Hank Azaria made an appearance on Letterman last night to promote his new Broadway show, an all singing, all dancing Monty Python musical! And this got me thinking about what a great all round performer he is without necessarily getting the recognition he deserves. Most famous, arguably, without ever been seen as the voices of Apu, Chief Wiggum, etc. in The Simpsons, he has also been in a string of terrific films over the last decade - Pretty Woman, Quiz Show, Heat, Grosse Pointe Blank, Cradle Will Rock, Shattered Glass and Woody Allen's underrated Celebrity to name a handful. He was unlucky not to make the A-List with Godzilla a few years back, but lucky for us as he remains one of the most versatile and talented supporting actors in Hollywood - the kind of actor who's longevity never outstays their welcome, and who gives the impression of being a really nice guy to boot. The movie roles he plays, though, rarely seem to stretch him; he is often cast as the likable everyman and I'm certain he's capable of so much more. The Simpsons has proved he is a natural voice artist and impeccable mimic with a deadly sense of timing - I hope his career eventually gives him the chance to use these talents more overtly. Perhaps the Monty Python show does just that... Another reason for me to wish I lived in NYC. Kx

Hal

2005-04-26T13:30:00.000+01:00

Drawn by some cheery album art I put this on as background music to a bit of work a few days ago - and I like it! It has been tough to find any meaty info on this new Irish band (formed in 2003, if that counts as new), but it seems they are brothers Dave and Paul Allen on vocals and guitars, with Stephen O'Brien on keyboards and Steve Hogan completing the four piece on drums. Their album is eponymous, but has been listed as Play The Hits, after one of their 3 singles to date. Stylistically it is up-tempo, soft-rock guitar with a lot of falsetto and not a lot of edge - you are reminded of The Beach Boys, or indeed any band who has tried to emmulate those 60's icons ever since; it is sunshine music, light, fluffy and pleasing, and if the day matches the mood you just might find yourself saying "let's listen to that again", like I did! Will they make it big? Well not on the evidence of this, but it also doesn't sound as if they tried to make a world-changing album, just a collection of sweet ditties to get you whistling. In this sense it is a complete success, with no song worthy of the Skip button and several songs worthy of the Repeat button. I'll definitely be looking out for them live, and looking for them to stamp their mark more vividly next time around, because you sense they may be capable of it. 8/10 Kx

Dead Man's Shoes

2005-04-23T14:30:00.000+01:00

With A Room for Romeo Brass, director Shane Meadows introduced the world to a sublime talent by the name of Paddy Considine, who I have been heard to say, even before this release, is the best British actor of his agegroup at work today. Following appearances in low budget art films Last Resort and The Martins he was labelled The Robert De Niro of the North for his intensity and depth of performance. A major role in Jim Sheridan's Oscar nominated In America took him to the big-time to much acclaim, but it was back in Nottingham with his old pal Meadows that he really belonged. Dead Man's Shoes then is a step back to roots for both men, claiming joint screenwriting credits and making a film that you can see in every frame that they both believe in passionately. In my head I had hyped this up to be potentially the best British film ever made - the trailer left me with the hairs on the back of my neck standing up for days! well, its not quite everything I'd hoped for - some of the supporting cast leave something to be desired in the acting department and the levels of humour thrown in to the drama did not always ring true - but that is to take nothing away from a scintillating idea and a very decent script all wrapped up in Meadow's loving touch and attention to detail; his camera often finds astonishing images that linger in the mind and his use of music is, as ever, beautifully judged. Above all this though is the performance of Considine in a role that defies sympathy for its sheer brutality, but nevertheless leaves you in total empathy for an anti-hero worthy of the name. His choices and subtleties never cease to astonish and delight me: I could watch him eat a bag of crisps and be in tears by the end of it - so when it comes to the final showdown between Considine's character, Richard, and the one man who could have stopped the carnage I was left absolutely breathless and any faults that exist with the film melted away as the camera drifted above the Midland's council estates and into the dawn in the final shot. Next to be seen in The Cinderella Man with Russel Crowe, one day soon someone is going to give Considine the part of his life in a big budget hit, and when that happens there will be no one to touch him - if ever an actor was destined for legend then it's this guy! 9/10 Kx

Speed Of Sound

2005-04-20T15:25:00.000+01:00

Monday saw the release of the first Coldplay single in many a moon in anticipation of their forthcoming album X & Y in May. It doesn't really matter whether it is any good because with the kudos Chris Martin has at the moment following two outstanding albums already and a high profile marriage to Gwynny the album will sell millions and millions and be at number one well into the Winter probably. And I'm not against the idea - Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head still get played from my collection at least once every couple of weeks, the tunes are just so damn good! But is it any good? Well as a single my first impression was, well, if this is the best song on the album it could spell trouble, but after several listens you realise that it has that ineffable catchyness that makes it a perfect Spring release: it's bright, bouncy and hooks you into endless humming after a while. The secret to this is Martin's childishly simplistic piano riff, that was seen to such effect on the last album. 4 notes played in a sequence of 16 that will stay in your brain even if you despise Coldplay (and I know many do - idiots!). As it stands, X & Y is the album I have been looking forward to most all year - and just think, if it is as big as the last two it has to go down as one of the best first 3 album releases in music history - not something to dismiss lightly, no matter what you may think of them. Altogether now: da da da da, da da da da.... Kx

Million Dollar Baby

2005-04-16T02:50:00.000+01:00

To win a best picture Oscar doesn't always take the level of quality it used to in Tinseltown's hayday - take Titanic, of course, or Chicago and A Beautiful Mind more recently as examples of perfectly average films making it big! Million Dollar Baby, unfortunately, can also be added to the list. I missed it on it's original release, favouring other awards contenders on instinct - and I think I was right. Given a second lease of life on the big screen due to it's success I gave it a chance on a free afternoon. It feels very much like an Eastwood film right from the credits - no nonsense, clean images and edits and a simple, slightly sentimental style; it seemed like it was going to be a winner: Clint was on form, as was Morgan Freeman in the early scenes, and Hilary Swank was as natural and charming as usual in a role that fit her like a (ahem) glove. But somewhere in the middle it all went wrong... Freeman's voice-over became trite and most annoying in places, the scmaltz factor got cranked up to 11, and by the time the devastating final reel arrived I just didn't believe in it enough to get caught in the emotion, despite some beautifully restrained performances in key scenes. Ultimately it was the dialogue and (I hate to say it Clint) the directing that let it down. My biggest memory of it all were the terribly orchestrated crowd scenes, complete with embarrassingly choreographed chanting - and that's not a good sign. Like I say, not awful, just decidedly average for all the hype. 7/10 Kx

Training Day

2005-04-14T15:00:00.000+01:00

Talk about being a little behind in keeping up with the latest releases! On sale for a very reasonable £4.99 at Blockbuster I couldn't resist the chance to finally see the Bad Cop drama that won Denzel his Oscar and also picked up a nomination for Hawke. Word of mouth had put me off prior to my bargain bin activities, saying that although it begins well it trails off into melodrama and camp OTT by the final 20 minutes. Erm, there is truth it that statement certainly, as neither the script nor the director seem to know where to take these interesting characters to find a satisfactory conclusion, and it chickens out from the potentially thought-provoking issues in favour of action scenes that dilute any real tension unnecessarily. Both leads are, however, on fine form, and some of their initial scenes sparkle with edge and posibility. Cinematically it also scores some good points with some eye-catching techniques on display and some pleasing colours on the filter. Ultimately you are left with a feeling of neither fulfillment or disappointment - there's nothing new here, that's safe to say, but as a popcorn flick it is a reasonable success and I will be watching it again before it gathers too much dust. The question, of course, is always going to be did Washington deserve that golden statue? Well, that depends how you feel about the man as an actor in general; he has sold out to an extent from his early potential in films like Glory, and personally I can take or leave him - the frustration being that you can tell he has a lot to give but chooses movies that don't challenge that talent. I would have preferred if he hadn't won and had been left with the thought that maybe he should try something of real merit with a decent director first. That said, which performance was better that year? Hard to say... 7/10 Kx

US Masters 2005

2005-04-11T17:00:00.000+01:00

I don't play golf, nor do I imagine I ever will, but once a year I find myself gripped by the drama of (surely) the greatest tournament in the sport: The US Masters @ Augusta. Over the years it has thrown up so many fairytale comebacks and final round excitement that you just couldn't write it as well. This year the four day event followed hard upon a fantastic week of sport in general, most notably the Aintree Grand National meeting, at which I did quite well in the wager stakes! So I thought I'd double up with a few bob on the golf - my initial bet on Sergio Garcia went south when the Spaniard didn't even make the cut, so I dived in on last years' front runner Chris DiMarco @ 12/1 as he led the rain delayed first round at 5 under par. By the end of Saturday night and half way through the penultimate 18 he was 4 shots clear of a fast finishing Tiger Woods and it looked like a 2 man race to the line, with my fella seeming to have a decent advantage. By 10am on Sunday (EST) that had all changed as a seven shot turn around saw Tiger go 3 ahead teeing off for the final round. What happened then was fitting of the venue and the legend of the event as the two leaders accompanied each other from hole to hole, Tiger looked tense but scarily focused, DiMarco looked relaxed but never hopeful... until the 10th when each hole changed the picture and made it one of the most exciting finishes I can remember. Tiger's one in a million shot from off the 16th green and then his mini collapse to the line left it all square after 72 holes and over 550 shots between them! Innevitably, after pulling it back, DiMarco crumbled anti-climactically in the play off, leaving Tiger a very makable putt for his 4th green jacket. Disappointing, but after such a great contest, and a champion worthy of the name, you can't grumble - it was an honour just to witness it all. Kx

Stephen Fretwell

2005-04-10T16:00:00.000+01:00

Have been into the mellow musings of a few singer / songwriters this past week - something about the nights being warmer and lighter in April seems to cry out for a singer and their acoustic guitar to bring a bit of angst tinged romance back into life. Damien Rice is everywhere at the moment, so as an alternative you could do worse than Manchester's Stephen Fretwell. He's been around the smaller venues for almost 3 years and last year took the best of his "8 Songs" debut release, mixed it up with some new tunes and came up with the wonderfully fresh sounding "Magpie". His lyrics are sweet yet bold, making good use of his native accent and the odd inherant profanity. His melodies edge towards gloomy but are always coloured with pop sensibilities. And the overall result gives you the depth of the best folk singers together with the toe-tap of a Simon and Garfunkle number. Basically, listening to him just makes me smile - there are themes and motifs that we all recognise here, presented with equal measures of joy and sadness, and the good thing is, as with most singer / songwriters, he is likely to be very prolific on the back of his successes and a 2nd (3rd?) album cannot be far behind. 8.5/10 Kx

Kaiser Chiefs

2005-04-07T20:00:00.000+01:00

Have listened to this album on and off over the last month since its release, and, although it might sound funny, I still can't decide if I like it! OK - they are from Leeds and seem like affable lads who take themselves a bit less seriously than Franz Ferdinand (who they supported last year and now almost seem in danger of overshadowing), their sense of humour is apparent and very welcome; making the best use of ooh-oohs, laa laas and Naa Naa Nas in a lot of their melodies, but there just isn't a sense of variety or originality on their debut album to lift them out of the crowd. Granted, I predict a Riot and especially Oh My God are great pop songs, but after a few listens you say "right, got it, let's move on". I don't imagine it will linger in my playlist long into the Summer, but for some reason I do keep coming back to it enough for it to deserve a mention. There is a lot of chat about the British guitar band revival being a fad, and to an extent I agree with that: there are a lot of good singles coming from it, but no great acts as a whole. We'll know more when the sophomore albums come out I guess. meanwhile, good luck to all Yorkshire bands, that's what I say... 6/10 Kx

The Games

2005-04-01T19:30:00.000+01:00

Reality TV has been scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel for so long that when a third series of channel 4s The Games was announced it was almost too pathetic to be embarrassing - trouble is that you do end up watching it, saying to yourself "just another 5 minutes then I'll turn it off and read a book", but you never do. So, another year of celebrities (in the looseset sense of the term) battling it out in bizarre contests such as Ski-jumping, Sumo wrestling and trampoleneing, whilst simultaneously living together Big Brother style. The puzzling thing is just how seriously they all take it, as if their very careers depend on a winning performance - although I think I caught an insight into the phenomenon when overhearing a producer give Mel a bollocking for messing about during her gymnastics routine... does this mean the makers are encouraging drama for the purposes of ratings, surely not?! Anyway, the results were academic and the whole thing left me feeling slightly dirty for even sticking with it. Channel 4 - No fourth series, please... Kx

Spellbound

2005-03-28T23:45:00.000+01:00

Martyn set up a challenge when we met up recently to buy one DVD for each other that we thought the other hadn't seen but would love. 20 minutes later after scouring every shelf of Virgin Megastore Middlesbrough I decided on Shattered Glass for him as I knew he wouldn't have chosen to watch it but would love it (still awaiting feedback). For me he chose Spellbound, which we had talked about, but I hadn't seen. I was definitely curious about why it had been winning so many awards, and upon watching I can understand it: it is a wonderful little piece of real life drama and a great insight into both a cross-section of American childhood and a phenomenon little known about this side of the pond. You find yourself rooting for all of the kids, who have different reasons for doing it and different degrees of pressure to win. It makes best use of the natural tensions and translates them through the screen brilliantly, making it hard to predict the eventual champion and delighting you when all is revealed. The real secret to this documentary is its lack of cynicism, where the subject would make it easy to judge - it promotes education and celebrates childhood, choosing never to mock, only to observe. Beautiful. 8/10 Kx

Robots

2005-03-26T17:30:00.000Z

Easter holidays mean lots of kids films that aim to reach the grown ups too. Today it was Robots, with the voices of Ewan McGregor and Robin Williams that tried to live up to the high standard set by the likes of The Incredibles and Finding Nemo in recent times. It wasn't anywhere near as canny as those two Pixar classics, but I did enjoy it and a bit of a chuckle here and there. The animation, as you would expect considering continuing advances in technology, was dazzling, the characters bright and vivid, the settings imaginative and the plot not bad, but all in all the target age was too low for it to compete with the aforementioned gems - however there has been much worse and I couldn't begrudge the admittance fee a bit. K

Hymns Of The 49th Parallel

2005-03-23T23:30:00.000Z

The flu finally hit me early in the week and knocked any and all zip out of me for a while. A trip down to my mother's had been planned for a while though and went ahead anyway. My brother, Martyn, was there too, which gave us a chance to catch up on one another's film and music intake. Among other things he turned me on to this album from last year, which celebrates the best of Canadian singer/songwriters over the last 3 decades. I haven't consciously chosen to listen to K. D. Lang for many years, and so was pleasantly surprised to hear some great versions of some of my favourite songs from Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, together with a few from Jane Siberry, who until now I have been blissfully unaware of. The latter provides the best song on the album, however, the transcendent Love Is Everything which is the last track on the album - what a song! It breaks my heart every time I listen to the build from halfway and the passion that Ms. Lang puts into it; her own music is not necessarily to my taste, but you cannot deny the power and purity of her astonishing voice. I hope she does more covers albums like it in the future. Kx

Welsh Glory

2005-03-19T19:15:00.000Z

Rugby isn't one of my favourite sports - when I do watch it I enjoy it but it takes a really big match to get me to watch it. That's exactly what we got today as the Welsh Dragons took on Ireland for their first Grand Slam in almost 3 decades - It was at the Millenium Stadium, the Irish hadn't lost in Cardiff for years and most thought that nerves would prevent the home side seeing it through; what more could you want from a sports match? Only a few jitters looked like getting in the way, but a confident display and luck on their side all afternoon brought the trophy back to the valleys in style. From my time in bars, serving all six sets of fans over the years, the Welsh are some of the best fans around and I couldn't help but be chuffed for them. Plus, it puts the arrogant English in their place for a few years. The less said about Scotland the better really. Kx

Big Trailer Update!

2005-03-19T03:30:00.000Z

The big trailer is in, and it looks great!!! As with the last one it builds slowly with lots of shots of Annikin looking moody before kicking off into a fireball / explosion / lightsaber / jedi / sith / wookie frenzy! The effects look very clean and better than ever, as you'd expect; in fact everything about it looks promising and exceptionally exciting. Find it and see it now @ Empire online ... Also just released are very cool trailers for War Of The Worlds (A full trailer now, not the teaser!), The Island, starring Ewan McGregor (without a beard) and Scarlet Johannsson, from the Aldus Huxley distopian vision, which might be interesting, and a strange little offering from Todd Solandz (what else would you expect from the man who made Happiness?) entitled Palindromes...!? Check them out and others too by clicking the title to visit Apple trailers - the best online trailers site I've yet found. Kx

Cheltenham Festival 2005

2005-03-18T18:15:00.000Z

Gambling is a habit I have tried hard to break since my teenage years, reserving the thrill these days to really big events like The Derby, The Grand National and, above all, The Cheltenham Festival. This year the event added an extra day and several new championship races to make it the biggest festival of jumps racing ever seen. It is so difficult to pick winners here, but the challenge is irrisistable - these are the cream of all raceshorses, and it is as much a tactical affair as it is flesh, blood and speed. Each trainer, each jockey, each horse has a tale to tell - there are politics, tragedies, triumphs, heroes and villains. Mix in the Irish army and thousands upon thousands of pints of Guinness and you have a volatile holiday! The three big races (Champion Hurdle, Tuesday - Queen Mother Champion Chase, Wednesday - The Gold Cup, Friday) were all classics with worthy champions, but it was Thursday's feature race The World Hurdle (formerly The Stayer's Hurdle) that gave me the biggest thrill: Baracouda is one of the greatest racehorses of modern times and was the shortest price fav of the meeting, but I opposed it with the young pretender Inglis Drever (pictured), who headed the French hero at the last fence and stormed up the hill to a famous victory and a big cheer from me! Over the 24 races, however, only managed 4/24 winners (3 on Thursday!), not quite enough to come out ahead moneywise, but the entertainment value for my punts was worth every penny, and I'm only sad it has to end. Roll on Grand National... Kx